RECIPE
YE OLDE MIGHTY GRANOLA
from Jennifer Stady, Portland, OR
mix together in a bowl:
8 cups rolled oats
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup unprocessed bran
1 1/2 cup wheatgerm
3/4 cup chopped walnuts ( I dont like walnuts so substituted sliced almonds)
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
heat together in pan:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup honey
2 t vanilla
heat until bubbly. pour over dry ingredients and mix it all together.
spread mixture on 2 large cookie sheets or baking trays and bake for 350 for 15 - 20 minutes stirring once to keep granola evenly browned.
stir once while cooling to prevent clumping unless you like clumping.
when cool, add raisins and any other moist ingredients required.
DATE SWEETENED GRANOLA
16 dates (I used 12 dates – the kind that are rolled with coconut flakes - and 4 prunes)
About 2 cups water
8 cups oats
4 cups nuts
Teaspoon of salt – could probably use more
1 cup of coconut oil
~ 1 T cinnamon (I think I put in less)
Preheat oven to 300 degrees
Pit dates (if you buy medjool, no need to if you get the kind rolled in coconut) and combine with water in a small sauce pan. Simmer over medium heat until the dates start to soften and break down.
While the dates are cooking, melt the coconut oil in small pan.
Once softened, put the date mixture in a food processor and process till a thick smooth gloppy texture, or simply mash with a masher.
In a LARGE bowl, mix together the oats, nuts, salt and cinnamon.
Now, here I'm not sure if it's better to mix the coconut oil into the oats first and then the dates or if it's better to mix the coconut oil with the date mixture and then mix with the oats. Yours to experiment with!
Stir all together until the oats are all moistened and clumping together.
Distribute the oat mixture onto a baking tray (I covered it with parchment paper first) so it's spread evenly and not TOO crowded. It took about 4 trays to do all of the oat mixture.
You are going to bake it for approximately 50 – 60 minutes, stirring and redistributing the mixture every 15 to 20 minutes. As soon as the oats are golden it's a good time to take it out.
Let the granola cool before storing. Add raisins or other dried fruit at this point.
Also very good with walnuts, sesame seeds, maple syrup, or honey. I'd like to try it with ginger and maybe a little molasses sometime.
(NEARLY) UNSWEETENED GRANOLA
melt 6T of coconut oil
add around 1T maple syrup and 1.5 teaspoons of vanilla and/or almond extract
mix together in a bowl:
6 cups oats
1.5 - 2 cups nuts and/or seeds
3 LG pinches of salt
add oil/extract/syrup mixture to oat/nuts/salt mixture and combine
add coconut flakes if desired - around 1 cup
bake at 300 degrees, stirring in 15 minute intervals, for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.
cool and add dried fruit if desired.