The recipe is super flexible-- just about the only element that is non-negotiable is oats. Don't like honey? Use maple syrup! Omit the peanut butter altogether! Use any kind of nuts (just not salted). When I'm feeling virtuous, I sometimes add a half cup of flaxseed meal to the honey mixture so I get in some Omega-3's. When I'm not, I sprinkle a handful of chocolate chips over the baked granola.
This recipe is scaled up so I only have to make it once a week for two adults; adapted (ever so loosely) from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. Also, thanks to The Well-Fed Newlyweds, who got me on the granola kick with her nutty pumpkin granola. It's excellent and you should try it.
Ingredients:
8 c. 'old-fashioned' (NOT instant) rolled oats
1 c. chopped pecans
1 c. almonds (sliced, chopped, or whole)
1 c. shredded coconut
1/2-3/4 c. honey (depending on how sweet you like it)
1/2 c. peanut butter
Directions:
Mix all the dry ingredients in a very large bowl; mix honey and peanut butter in a separate bowl (I usually just use the measuring cup).
Stir gooey mixture into dry ingredients; spread onto two greased, rimmed baking sheets. If you use a plain cookie sheet, you will end up with half-baked granola everywhere when you try to stir it.
Bake at 300 degrees for 30-45 minutes, stirring and switching the baking sheets every 15 minutes. Use convection if you've got it; it will bake faster without burning!
Cool on cookie sheets-- I just turn the oven off and let it cool in there, or I eat too much delicious warm crunchy granola-- and transfer to an airtight container.
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Great tip about convection! I stopped using the convection setting because my roasted veggies dried out too much and that's mostly what I use the oven for. Definitely going to make some peanut butter granola!
ReplyDeleteIt's great if you're going for crunchy-- it's also good for crisp skin on a roasted chicken.
ReplyDeleteAlso, do you have an RSS feed set up? Craig was momentarily confused yesterday when it popped up in his-- bad economic news, worse economic news, granola.
I have your blog on my Google Reader. It showed up fine, if that's what you're asking.
ReplyDeleteI never roast meat - I guess I try to use the oven as little as possible when it's 110 out. But I'm going to do a pesto & prosciutto stuffed pork loin on Sunday. Definitely a job for convection.