I love producing foods from my kitchen that I took for granted always came packaged and labeled by one of the corporate conglomerates that we find on the shelves of our grocery stores. It's fun to discover these foods started out in a home kitchen, very much like yours and mine. It's even better to find out that most often what we make from scratch is often tastier and healthier than the convenience brand. I found this to be true with granola.
I came across this recipe when looking for a "health store" type of cookie in one of Maida Heatter's dessert cookbooks. I have adapted it slightly to my own liking and I'm sure you will tweak it likewise to suit yours! By the way, I never go back-packing or camping without a supply of this most delicious granola.
GRANOLA
From Maida Heatter's Best Dessert Book Ever
1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
3/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup whole unblanched almonds
3/4 cup raw cashews
1/3 cup hazelnuts
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup sesame seeds
1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Add the liquids to the dry ingredients and stir to mix.
Grease a large shallow baking dish; add the granola ingredients. Put in oven. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, stirring every ten minutes for the first 30 minutes, then every five minutes until the granola is golden brown and evenly toasted.
When done, store in an airtight container. This is great served with yogurt and fresh fruit!
I think I left my batch in the oven too long. I waited for it to get crispy, and when it didn't do so by the 50 min. mark, I gave it another few minutes. Still lacking the crunch-factor I was after, I decided to take the granola out of the oven anyway, so as not to start a kitchen fire. However, it was only when I let the pan sit on the stovetop that the mixture finally crisped and turned from brown to, well, burned. Is it always the case that the granola will crisp only after having been taken out of the oven?
ReplyDeleteThat is a very good point. When the granola is baking, you are paying more attention to the color than to the actual crispness. It does indeed get crispier as it cools. I have actually been taking my latest granola batches out of the oven after 45 minutes because I found I prefer the flavor when the coler is golden rather than brown. After the cooling period, the crunch sets in. I hope your next foray into making granola brings you more satisfactory results.
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