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Granola
This is my somewhat healthier version of granola. I cut down the sugar, syrup, and cut out the oil from the original recipe. But I left in all the coconut ‘cause I love *the coconut*love love* the coconut. Astute observers may notice that I accidental added the dried fruit to the granola before I put in the oven in the picture. The dried fruit got a little dark and quite chewy. Oh well.
INGREDIENTS
3 c oats
½ c wheat germ
1 c nuts (any combination you like)
3/4 c coconut
1/4 c brown sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 C maple syrup (I like the kind that comes from trees, not fields in Iowa.)
1 c dried fruit
Preheat oven to 250. Mix together oats, wheat germ, nuts, coconut, brown sugar and salt.
Mix the maple syrup with the oat mixture. Bake on an oiled or sprayed with pam baking sheet (0r two oiled pizza pans) for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Take out of the oven and place in a large bowl. Stir in fruit.
5 comments:
That photo looks very cool when you click on it to make it full size. I'd make it my desktop background if it wouldn't make me hungry all the time.
Do you have any ideas for a substitute for maple syrup? I'd like to try the recipe, but I can't even stand the smell of maple.
A different granola recipe that I have made before calls for honey. I think you should be able to substitute 1/4 c honey for the 1/4 c maple syrup. If you want granola that clumps together (in this recipe the oats are all separated) add some corn syrup. It's not healthy, but as far as I know it's the only way to make granola stick together. I'm only guessing, but I'd try 2 T honey in place of the maple syrup. Then, late in the cooking (maybe with a half hour left) I'd drizzle 2 T corn syrup over the granola before stirring it. You have to take the granola out every 15 minutes to stir it anyway, so that will be a good time to add the corn syrup. Good Luck.
I just made two variations. Note that I use honey rather than maple syrup, and that I don't omit all the oil as you suggest. To me, you need that 2T oil so that you're roasting the oats rather than drying/toasting them, but it's a matter of individual preference. I also do about 1.5 c nuts, just because I need the protein. (Oh, and 1/4 c ground flax seed, if I have it...)
Apple Cinnamon Raisin
Omitted coconut (Eva's request)
Fruit: 1/2 c raisins, 1/2 c chopped dried apples (in this case, from your very own tree, thanks! :)
Nuts: 1 c almonds, 1/2 c walnuts
Added 1 tsp cinnamon before baking, but decided it needed more; added another 1/2 tsp when I stirred in the fruit
Ginger Banana Coconut
Fruit: 1/3 c diced crystallized ginger, 2/3 c banana chips, broken into smaller bits
Nuts: 1.5 c almonds (though wouldn't macadamia nuts be good?)
Added 1/2 tsp powdered ginger before baking, a bit more wouldn't hurt.
Added an extra bit (1/4 c?) coconut, just because
I like them both, but the Ginger Banana one is *so* good, a totally different taste than usual; very Pacific rim. Might try some dried pineapple next time...
Awesome recipes Kristy. I just want to note that I say that I do oil the pans with about 1 tablespoon (maybe only 2 tsp) oil. I agree, you need some oil to make this recipe work. I also agree that more oil would taste better. I tried to cut it to the bare minimum so I could eat this on a regular basis. I refuse to cut the coconut however. :)
If you want to get more adventurous, I've considered making peanut butter variation.
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