I've been wanting to start something new here on Unwritten Recipes, but first I have to come clean about something. See, I've been holding out on you guys for a while now and the thing is...I'm a PInterest junkie! Yes, I am one of those people who find it kind of fascinating to see what other people out there are cooking, decorating, crafting, wearing, reading etc. and generally at some point every day (usually when I'm hanging out at a hockey practice or waiting in the car to pick kids up) you can find me pinning. Well, it turns out a lot of people are similarly afflicted and so I thought that I'd start a new series here called Pinterest Picks, where from time to time, I test out heavily repinned recipes (I promise I'm going to explain) like this Breakfast Granola Fruit Tart with Yogurt that seems to be lighting up Pinterest lately. It's healthy, easy to make and would be perfect at a spring/summer brunch now that all the beautiful berries are in season. Let the pinning begin!

If the thought of one more social media avenue that you have to learn terrifies the heck out of you, don't be. I, the untechnologically gifted guru, am here to explain the ins and outs of Pinterest and if I can do it without messing up too much, you can too. Basically, Pinterest is just a photo sharing website--a way to not forget all the interesting stuff you see on the Web and it's free to join. Once you do, you create virtual boards for different categories of photos that you want to save. This can range from home decorating and fashion, to tatoos, cars and celebrities to weight loss plans and recipes--the sky's the limit. When you see a photo online and it has a little red P on it or the words Pin It in the upper left hand corner--you click on it, it directs you to the boards you've created and you can then "pin" that photo to one or more boards. Then you can add friends to your Pinterest account, (it works kinda like Facebook) and you'll get to see all the great stuff they're pinning and you can follow them and they can follow you and so on. Now, when you pin something from another person's Pinterest board, it's called a "repin" and they get a little notification that someone has repinned their pin. If a pin gets a lot of repins, it becomes a "popular pin" and you get a notification of that too. Not long ago I pinned this granola tart (courtesy of Jessica Gavin) and it's already gotten over 200 repins with more coming in every day, so I thought it was the perfect recipe to start Pinterest Picks with.

Whew! Hope that wasn't too confusing! Now,let's get on to what we're all really here for--these adorable individualized breakfast granola tarts which are filled with yogurt and topped with fresh berries, so they're not only pretty looking, but good for you too! You start by mixing together a simple granola--

And pressing the mixture into mini-tart pans--

After they cook and cool, you simply fill them with any kind of yogurt you like and top with an assortment of fresh fruit.

The granola crust is chewy and nutty and pairs perfectly with the creamy yogurt and sweet berries! It's perfect to serve at brunch but if you wanted to make this more of a dessert you could definitely fill the shells with pudding or ice cream instead. These were a huge hit at my house, and if 200+ repins are any indication, we're not the only ones enjoying this healthy little treat. And by the way, if you want to follow me on Pinterest, just click on this link and hit follow on the upper right hand corner. 

Gotta go now--there are so many recipes out there to be pinned!

Breakfast Granola Fruit Tart with Yogurt-Pinterest Picks

Makes 8 mini-tarts or one 10-inch tart

Prep Time:  20 minutes; Bake Time:  15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 5 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 cups yogurt, any kind (I used low fat vanilla)
• 3-4 cups fresh berries ( I used a mixture of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries)

The Recipe

1.  Preheat oven to 325ºF. Spray 8 mini-tart pans or one 10-inch tart pan with nonstick vegetable spray. Set aside.

2.  Place the oats, nuts, sesame seeds, coconut oil, honey and vanilla in a medium bowl and combine well, until all of the dry ingredients are moistened. Press a few tablespoons of the granola into the tarts on the bottoms and use the back of a spoon that's been sprayed with a bit of the nonstick cooking spray, to press the mixture up the sides of the pans evenly.

3.  Bake for 15-17 minutes, until the granola is golden brown and a bit puffed. As soon as the tarts come out of the oven, use the spoon to push down in the centers and against the sides, so that there's a well for the filling to be added later on. Transfer the tarts to a baking rack to cool completely.

4.  Once cool, use a small knife to loosen the tarts around the sides and then carefully release the sides of the pans. Be gentle so that the shells don't break. Spoon some yogurt into each shell and top with the berries. Serve immediately.

5.  If you are not going to serve the tarts right away, wait until right before serving to fill them with the yogurt so that the shells don't get soggy. And you can make the shells up to one day ahead and leave them covered at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Note:  Recipe adapted from Jessica Gavin.  I subbed in pecans for the walnuts.