Granola

Making my own granola is easy, and very satisfying. I always double the recipe as it is just as easy as doing a single batch, and it lasts quite a while. A perfect partner for fresh fruit and vanilla yogurt.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cups rolled oats

1 cup kamut flakes

½ cup rye flakes

½ quinoa flakes

1 cup spelt flakes

½ cup coarsely chopped almonds

½ cup raw chopped cashews

½ cup raw pepitas

½ cup heaping unsweetened shredded coconut

½ cup raw sunflower seeds

3-4 tablespoons packed brown sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

1/3 cup honey

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon powdered cardamom

½ teaspoon powdered ginger

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

METHOD:

Pre-heat the oven to 300°F.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a Silpat mat.

Put first 12 ingredients into a large bowl, making sure salt is sprinkled over evenly.

Heat a pan over medium heat, and when hot, add the oil. When the oil is warmed, add the honey and stir well. Add the spices, stirring to mix well. Add the vanilla and stir in.

When the honey mixture is smooth, pour over dry ingredients.

Using a lightly oiled spatula or mixing spoon, carefully turn the ingredients to evenly coat them with the honey mixture.

When the dry ingredients are thoroughly coated, spread them on the prepared sheet pan.

Place the pan in the middle of the oven and bake until golden brown. This should take around 30 to 40 minutes. Stir the granola every ten minutes.

Remove the pan when golden brown, and pull a little of the granola from the pan to cool faster. Taste when cool-it should have become crunchy. Taste to see if it is cooked enough-it should be lightly sweet and crunchy with a little give to it still. You can, of course, put it back into the oven to cook more if you want it darker/crunchier. Just remember it continues cooking as it cools, so be careful.

Once cooled. Transfer to an airtight container.

Chef’s Notes:

You can add dried fruit to the granola once it has cooled. Diced dried apricots, raisins, goji berries, diced apples, etc. Experiment with different nuts and seeds, even try different spices, such as a 1.2 teaspoon ginger powder. Try adding 2 tablespoons sesame seeds to the dry ingredients. All very flexible. Try doubling it. Not really any more work than a single batch for twice the volume.

Yield: Around 6 cups

Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen