Email to Stella      

Granola: The Greatest Granola

Source of Recipe

Lauren Groveman


Recipe Introduction

Granola is the perfect breakfast cereal. Loaded with protein and natural fiber, it's a great way to start your day or get a quick mid-morning or afternoon "pick me up." The delicious combination of tastes and textures keeps this from tasting like health food (even though it really is). Feel free to change the types of nuts, dried fruits or the kind of sweetener, so you can customize your own favorite concoction. Serve with milk for breakfast or sprinkle on yogurt for lunch. Or simply enjoy out of hand as a snack.

List of Ingredients

2 cups regular (not quick cooking) rolled oats
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened desiccated coconut
1/2 cup unsweetened wheat germ*
1/2 cup unprocessed wheat bran*
1 cup whole nuts, toasted and chopped (a combination of unsalted macadamias, blanched toasted almonds and unsalted pistachios or walnuts. Sunflower seeds, hulled pumpkin seeds, toasted pine nuts are also wonderful choices)
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter or 1/4 cup safflower or canola oil
1/3 cup mild honey or pure maple syrup or 1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice
1 scant teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 cup chopped assorted dried fruits (a combination of apricots, pitted prunes, cherries and light and dark raisins.)



Recipe

To set up: Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together rolled oats, coconut, wheat germ, wheat bran and toasted nuts.

To prepare granola: In a small saucepan, melt butter or heat the oil over low heat. Add either honey, maple syrup or apple juice and stir well to combine. Heat until just hot throughout and then stir in cinnamon. Let heat a few seconds to release the flavor of the spice. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and almond extracts. Pour this over the dry mixture and stir well to combine.

To bake: Pour the granola onto a large shallow baking sheet and bake stirring every 5 minutes or so, until the mixture is golden throughout. This will take 15 to 20 minutes; if using oil and the increased amount of apple juice, bake for about 25 minutes.

To complete and store: Stir dried fruit into hot granola mixture. Let cool thoroughly (the granola will feel crisp when cool) and store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Yield: About 6 cups