Crunchy and crispy granola!

Now who doesn’t like granola!! Add it to milk, eat with yogurt or munch on it just like that! I like to make my own granola- that way I know what’s going into it and I can also tweak it to my tastes. The recipe is from King Arthur Flour.

I changed it just a little bit. Instead of maple syrup I use honey. I tried with both and found that when I make it with honey it’s more crisp and I like that. Also I bake it for 2 hours at 250 F and then turn off the oven and leave the granola in for a few hours. Also I half the recipe every time  I make it. That’s good enough for me.

Ingredients

• 3.5 cups rolled oats, uncooked
• 1/2 cup flaked unsweetened coconut (optional, but good)
• 1 cup stabilized wheat germ (I don’t have this in my pantry)
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds (typically I use sliced ones but this time I didn’t have any so just chopped some almonds and found that I like them better because they add a lot of crunch)
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2.5 cups mixed dried fruit** (raisins, cranberries, cherries, diced pineapple, diced apricots, chopped dates, or the mixture of your choice)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line two large rimmed baking sheets with silicone mats; or line them with parchment.
2. In a very large bowl, combine the oats, coconut, nuts, and seeds. Mix well.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, salt, honey, and vanilla.
4. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry mixture in the bowl, stirring and tossing until everything is very well combined.
5. Spread the granola on the baking sheets, patting it gently to flatten.
6. Bake the granola for about 120 minutes, stirring the mixture with a heatproof spatula after 60 minutes. You want to bring the granola at the edge in towards the middle, so it all browns evenly. Reverse the baking sheets in the oven (top to bottom, bottom to top) when you stir.
7. When the granola is a medium golden brown, remove it from the oven and cool completely on the pans.
8. Transfer the granola to a large bowl, and mix in the dried fruit.
9. Store the granola in a tightly closed container at room temperature for several weeks; freeze for extended storage. Or portion into pretty patterned plastic bags for gift-giving.

Note: Next time I want to increase the quantity of oats or reduce that of dried fruits/nuts.