Most
of us start our day with a bowl of
dry cereal. Let's face it, it is so convenient; just open the box and pour. But
with the rising prices of commercial dry cereals it is good to have other
alternatives. One excellent choice is to make our own Granola.
Granola always starts with oats, in this case, old fashioned rolled oats.
These are oats which are cleaned, toasted, and hulled to become what we
call oat groats. If you are wondering what the difference between old-fashioned rolled oats
and quick cooking, it is in their thickness. Old fashioned oats are thicker because to make quick-cooking
rolled oats the oat groats are first cut into pieces before being
steamed and flattened. Although they are usually interchangeable
in recipes I recommend using old-fashioned rolled oats in this recipe
as I prefer their
thicker texture and better flavor.
Besides oats, a granola needs nuts
and seeds. This recipes uses whole raw almonds and raw pumpkin and
sunflower seeds. Of course, there are many other types of nuts and seeds to
choose from, so go ahead and use your favorites. Once all the dry
ingredients are mixed together, they are coated in a sweet mixture of
applesauce, rice syrup, honey, brown sugar, oil, salt and ground cinnamon.
This recipe comes from Nigella Lawson's 'Feast' cookbook and I really like
how this mixture gives the granola a sweet yet crunchy texture. Once made,
the granola is then spread on two large baking sheets, and baked in a
moderate oven until golden brown. Turn the granola frequently so it browns
evenly, and be sure to watch it carefully towards the end of baking, as it
burns quite easily. It is also important to cool the granola completely
before storing in an airtight container as you do not want it to lose its
wonderful crispy texture.
You can eat granola as you would any other cereal; with milk. Or you can add
some dried fruit and eat it as a healthy snack.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and place
the oven
racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Butter, or spray with a non
stick vegetable spray, two baking sheets.
In a large bowl combine the rolled oats,
nuts, seeds, wheat germ, ground cinnamon, and salt.
In another bowl, stir together
the apple sauce, oil, honey, brown rice syrup (golden syrup), and brown sugar. Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients and
toss together, making sure all the dry ingredients are coated with the liquid. Divide
the granola evenly between the two baking sheets and bake for about
35 - 40
minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally so the mixture browns
evenly. (The browner the granola gets (without burning) the crunchier the
granola will be.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. You
will notice that the granola may still be sticky when it is removed from the oven
but it will become crisp and dry as it cools. Make sure to break up any
large clumps of granola while the mixture is still warm. Once the
granola has completely cooled, add the dried fruit(s), and store in an airtight container or plastic bag in
the refrigerator. It will keep for several weeks.
Serve plain or with milk and
fresh fruit.
Makes about 10 cups.
Sources:
Lawson, Nigella. 'Feast'.
Hyperion. New York: 2004.
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