My overall principle after lots of tweaking and eating is one Tablespoon each oil and sweetener for every cup of stuff, then baking for about six minutes for each cup of said stuff. So, feel free to go nuts (or seeds or whatever makes you want to get up in the morning and have a delicious breakfast)!
I've substituted maple syrup for the honey and might substitute coconut oil for canola just to see. If I run out of one kind of nut, I've doubled the other, but I do prefer the combination. And I like to think that the flax seeds give my coat a glossy sheen, but that could just be me being silly. Don't skip the salt! In all my time in the kitchen (cooking was my hobby before I became a knitter), the most important lesson I've learned is that salt brings out sweetness in baked goods.
This is IMO delicious atop your favorite yogurt with some fruit mixed in (you can skip the cranberries in that case), but I love to eat it as cold cereal with dried cranberries and soy milk (more calcium for my bones). When I run out of granola and have to eat something else for breakfast, I am not a happy camper, so this stuff gets made often.
Caveat: I am not a nutritionist. Nor am I a professional chef. This is how I like it. YMMV.
Kathleen's Granola
approx. 1 quart
4 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 cup sweetened coconut, loosely packed
1/4 cup flax seeds, ground
1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
6 Tablespoons canola oil
6 Tablespoons honey
1 cup dried cranberries (optional)
Preheat oven to 325 F. Line large baking sheet with parchment. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add oil and honey to bowl, then mix thoroughly to coat dry ingredients. Pour onto lined baking sheet and spread evenly. Bake for approx. 35 minutes until fragrant and toasted brown. Cool thoroughly on rack. Store in covered container. Add cranberries before serving.
Notes
- I use a rimmed half sheet pan, sometimes known as a jelly roll pan. It is approx. 18x13".
- To cut down on the number of utensils I dirty, I fill my Tablespoon half-way with salt. Then I use the Tablespoon for the oil and honey as follows: Fill with oil, pour in bowl; fill with honey, pour in bowl; repeat six times. The oil prevents the honey from sticking to the spoon.
- I used to add the cranberries before storing the granola but have discovered that, thanks to osmosis, the moisture in the berries tends to leave said berries and permeate the granola. Not enough to make the granola soggy or anything, just enough to make the cranberries hard. Me no likey.
- This recipe has been doubled and halved using 9x13" and two half sheet pans, respectively. Bake for 20-25 minutes and 45-55 minutes.
Kids start back to school tomorrow-ish (classroom visits). Once they're back in their school-year routine, I'll get back into mine. In the meantime I'm enjoying the last of summer as best I can (it's HOT out - ugh). Hope you're having a good time, too.
Thanks for stopping by, and happy knitting!
xoxo,
P.S. There's still time to join in the Instagram #kdknitphotohop! See my profile for details.
YUM! I'm gonna try this as soon as it cools down. I can't bear to think of turning on the oven today. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI hear ya. They're talking record-tying heat here over the next two days. Sigh. So ready for Autumn! Hope you like it :)
ReplyDeleteThis looks wonderful! Thanks for the recipe!!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure! Let me know if you make it.
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