Granola

Granola 

Hi everybody :)

Granola is one of my favorite snack foods. I've seen many granola recipes flying around on Pinterest lately. I found this one in Flour cookbook. I decided to use it because it has the ingredients of my favorite Oatmeal Cookies: oat, coconut, walnuts, cinnamon, and dried cranberries or craisins.

I changed a few things about the recipe. I omitted the sesame seeds because I didn't have any, so I added a few more sunflower seeds. The sunflower seeds I used were honey roasted so I added them after cooking. I used coconut oil instead of canola oil because it's healthier and tastes good. And for the secret ingredient: ..... drum roll....YOGURT RAISINS! I LOVE THEM!!

My favorite way to eat granola is with vanilla yogurt and fruits.


  

MOM'S GRANOLA  adapted from Flour
2 1/2 cups (270 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant or quick cooking)
1 1/2cups (200 grams) wheat germ
1/2 cup (60 grams) sweetened shredded coconut
3 tablespoons sesame seeds (I omitted this, added a few more sunflower seeds)
1/3 cup (40 grams) sunflower seeds (I used honey-roasted sunflower seeds, so added them after cooking)
1/2 cup (50 grams) chopped walnuts
1/2 cup (50 grams) sliced almonds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt (omitted because of the salt on the sunflower seeds)
3/4 cup (150 grams) canola oil (I used coconut oil, & store granola in the refrigerator)
3/4 cup (255 grams) honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup (80 grams) dried cranberries
I also added  2  8 oz. bags yogurt raisins

MAKES ABOUT 10 CUPS

■ Position a a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

■ In a large bowl combine the oats, wheat germ, coconut, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds, cinnamon, and salt and mix well. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, honey, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly until the dry ingredients are evenly coated.

■ Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread in an even layer. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until golden brown. Stir the granola with a spatula or wooden spoon several times during baking to ensure even browning. Let cool completely, then add the cranberries and mix to distribute them evenly.

■ The granola can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

What I Think:
If I do this recipe again, I'm going to lower the temperature to 325 degrees and bake it for about 30 minutes instead. The taste of the granola was okay, but I do think they bake too long. I set my timer for 45 minutes and took them out five minutes earlier. To salvage it, I had to redo the coconut by itself :(  I also would decrease the wheat germ to 1/2 cup and increase the oatmeal to 3 1/2 cups. Because of the coconut oil and the yogurt raisins, I stored this in the refrigerator and freezer.

ENJOY! Come again....