Granola Your Way

My husband is amazed at all the "junk" e-mail I recieve daily. I admit I do sign up for a lot of newsletters. Some I skim and delete, others I delete pretty much right away, but there are a few of my favorites where I take the time to really read. Culinate and Cookus Interruptus are two that fall in the later category.

Culinate recently highlighted Vanessa Barrington's book DIY Delicious with a fun recipe, Granola Your Way. I love how it was laid out giving the cook the power to be creative and experiment with the ingredients. I am sharing it as 1) I love homemade granola and 2) after many years of following recipes to a T, I am finally enjoying making up my own recipes, adjusting recipes and have accepted that failing is learning. If you still follow recipes to a T, get creative and make some delicious granola!

Granola Your Way from Vanessa Barrington

Ingredients

1/3 to 1/2 Cup fat (butter, coconut oil, olive oil)

1/3 cup Sweetener agave syrup, honey, maple syrup (1/2) or brown sugar (1/2)

Flavorings vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom

4 cups flaked grains (oats, kamut, triticale, spelt, rye)

Mix-ins unsweetened coconut, wheat germ

Seeds pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax, chia

2 cups Nuts (about 8 ounces) lightly chopped (almonds, pecans, walnuts)

1 cup unsulfured and evenly chopped dried fruit (apples, pears, peaches, plums, cranberries, currants, raisins,

Instructions

1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2.In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter (or, if using oil, warm it) and add the sweetener along with the vanilla, cinnamon, or other spices you’re using. (If using honey, see the variation.)

3.In a large bowl, combine the flaked grains, mix-ins, seeds, and nuts. Toss to mix.

4.Pour the warmed butter or oil and sweetener over the dry ingredients and toss with a large spoon or spatula until evenly and lightly coated.

5.Transfer the mixture to a large baking sheet (you may need to use two baking sheets) and spread it out evenly in a thin layer.

6.Bake until evenly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Stop halfway through and stir the ingredients so that they brown evenly.

7.Remove from the oven, add the dried fruit, and toss to combine. Let cool completely on the baking sheet.

8.Store at room temperature in an airtight container. The granola will stay fresh for up to 3 weeks, stored properly. I store mine in mason jars on the counter. It looks nice and keeps the granola fresh and handy.

Notes

Variation: If using honey, there’s no need to heat the oil first, but you still need to melt the butter (if using). Just whisk the fat together with the vanilla or other spices and pour it over the flakes, nuts, and extras, and toss and bake as directed. When you remove the granola from the oven, add the dried fruit, and drizzle the honey over it while still warm. Toss to coat, and cool and store as directed.