Granola Again

Dear Michelle,

I feel like it's been taking me forever to get this post up. Days of attempts to sit down and just write it all out have passed, with nothing worthwhile going from my brain to the keyboard. Finally, I have a day with nothing due and nothing pressing to do, and I am sitting with my laptop at the kitchen table, drinking a pot of delicious white tea, determined that today I will successfully tell you how much I love granola.

I've been craving granola ever since I read your post about it. The cooler the weather gets, the better it sounds, and so last weekend, on a cold, rainy day, my good friend Koren came over with her tiny little baby and we made three different kinds of granola. It sounds ambitious, but when you've dedicated the whole day to granola-making and catching up, it's not only do-able, but relaxing.

The rain was blowing against the windows on and off all day, but we were drinking tea in an apartment warmed by the oven and the scent of toasting cinnamon, nuts and oats. Rain can be so nice when you are watching it from inside, and listening to all of the noises that come along with it: the "swoosh" of the cars passing in the street, the pitter-pat on window panes and roofs and in the puddles, and if you are unlucky enough to be outside, on your umbrella, or oppressively on the roof of your car.

Making so many batches of granola does take a little while, but it provided us with the perfect opportunity to chat about various things and play with the baby, who was on the couch with Jeff most of the time. Nothing warms this girl's heart like seeing her fiancee not only playing with the baby he's been tasked with watching, but also appearing to enjoy it. Except, that is, a perfect hot chocolate, and maybe foie gras.

Koren had come loaded with goodies from the Park Slope Food Co-op, which is legendary on this island of overpriced groceries, and we sorted out what variations we were going to make based on what we had all together:

- walnut, pumpkin seed, orange flavored dried cranberries (I love those things!), and dark chocolate
- pecan, dried cherry, meringue bits, and milk chocolate
- cashew, slivered almond, sunflower seed, dried blueberry

I've mentioned before how much I like this recipe from the site that never lets me down, which was the first I ever tried, and the only one I have tried so far. It really makes a great granola, rich and crunchy but not too sweet, and easy to modify. I kept the wet ingredients, the oats, and the sugar constant for the most part, and substituted various other things for those components that really make granola tasty: the nuts, seeds, and fruits. Meringue bits combined with the butteriness of the pecans made the second variation my favorite. The meringue crunches nicely, like "lucky charms marshmallows" (Jeff's words). I also added puffed rice for lightness; it's not all that noticeable, so next time I'll probably double it.

Granola in Three Variations:

1- Walnut, Pumpkin Seed, Orange Flavored Dried Cranberries, and Dark Chocolate

Dry Ingredients:

2 1/2 c oats (rolled, not instant)
1 1/2 c walnuts
1 c raw shelled pumpkin seeds
2 c puffed rice (doubled from the 1c I used; let me know how it works out)
1/4 c sugar (the recipe called for brown, which I didn't have and didn't want to venture out to get, so I added 1t molasses to the wet ingredients. Do either)
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t ginger
1/4 t nutmeg
1/2 t salt

3/4- 1 c dried cranberries
4 oz dark chocolate, either chopped or in chips ( I used 6 oz, and maybe I didn't mix it up enough, but parts of it were more like granola candy. Which is all fine and good and scrumptious, and if that's what you want, increase chocolate to 6 oz)

Wet Ingredients:

1/2 c unsweetened applesauce (this is the genius ingredient in this granola, and the reason I will always come back to this recipe. I wish I'd tried pureed pumpkin for this version. I'll try it next time.)
1/4 c rice syrup
1/8 c honey
1T oil (I used walnut; use something either mild or complimentary in flavor)
1t molasses (if white sugar is used above)

Preheat oven to 300 F. Combine all dry ingredients except fruit and chocolate in a large bowl, and wet ingredients in a smaller bowl, and mix each thoroughly. Mix together. Spread uniformly in a large baking sheet, and pop into oven. Stir every 10 minutes to ensure even cooking. At 30-45 minutes, when granola smells toasty and looks golden-brown, pull from oven. Stir, very thoroughly if you like your granola looser, less if you like it clumpy, and add fruit now if you are using it. This is one of those times when you add it till it looks like the right amount. At this point I put it in a large glass baking dish to re-use the baking sheet, but if you are one of those lucky people who has several of these, there's no need for that. Once granola has cooled to warm, but is no longer hot, add chocolate and stir gently to distribute. You do not want the chocolate to uniformly coat the granola; it should retain some of it's shape so that you find it in small clumps.
Let cool completely, and put in glass jars (Koren was prepared and brought some) or large plastic bags.

Variation 2: Pecan, Dried Cherry, Meringue Bits, and Milk Chocolate

Follow above directions, with the following ingredients:

2 c oats
1 1/2 c pecans
2 c puffed rice
2 c crushed meringue cookies
1 c chopped dried cherries
4 oz chopped milk chocolate (wait till just barely warn to mix in the milk chocolate; it has a lower melting temp.)
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t ginger
1/4 t nutmeg
1/2 t salt

Wet Ingredients:

use above listed, plus 1 T vanilla


Variation 3: Cashew, Slivered Almond, Sunflower Seed, Dried Blueberry

Dry Ingredients:

2 1/2 c oats
1 1/4 c slivered almonds
2 c puffed rice
1 c cashews
1 c sunflower seeds
1c dried blueberries

Wet Ingredients:

See first variation.

I discovered that mixing all three together is even better than any on it's own. It's a testamentto how good this stuff is that it's almost gone, though we made it last Saturday. I'm not even having it for breakfast, either; this is all snacking.

Cinnamon Rasin Granola

Hi Devon,

Homemade granola, easy to make and tastier than store bought: why waste money on pre-packaged? Nothing jumpstarts your morning better than a big scoop of yogurt mixed with fruit and granola. I love granola but don't like many calorie-packed commercially boxed granolas. Unnecessary sugars and additives make eating a healthy alternative like granola more like eating a sausage and egg sandwich from the corner deli.

Making my own proved a much healthier and tastier solution. Controlling the ingredients is key to any recipe. Luckily, granola is flexible by definition, allowing for many substitutions and improvisations. I read through three recipes (the Joy of Cooking, Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything, and Ina Garten of Barefoot Contessa fame) before finalizing my own formula. A comparison of the three proved that a recipe for granola is always a suggestion, rather than a specific technique. Add anything you like, toss with an oil / sugar-based mix, and toast in the oven until golden brown and fragrant.

Each of the three recipes varied slightly in their choice of ingredients and cooking instructions. Both the Joy of Cooking and Ina Garten called for the oats to be tossed in an oil and sugar-based mixture, while Bittman suggested cooking the granola on a baking sheet positioned over two burners of the stove. Proportions varied wildly from Bittman's 4 cups of oats to Garten's 6 cups. Each suggested an assortment of dried fruits, nuts, and spices, including: wheatberry, pecans, raisins, poppy seeds, and nutmeg. All three consider shredded coconut an essential component. I didn't use it- it's not in my pantry, so it's not in my granola.

I devised my own recipe / suggestion for granola. I opted for a simple base of old-fashioned rolled oats. I picked up some plump golden raisins and walnuts, not my first choice, but still adequate, at my local grocery store. The pantry was stocked with a thousand sunflower seeds, a remnant from a project a few months ago, and a box of raisins. At first, I was hesitant to use sunflower seeds, but upon tasting the final product, I loved it. They gave the granola a nutty and almost buttery flavor, something that was needed to balance the sweetness of the raisins.

For my first attempt, I did not want to be too crazy with my flavors. Bittman suggested adding nutmeg or cinnamon, to infuse the granola with warm and spicy notes. I used both spices and enhanced the flavor with maple syrup, omitting the recommended honey. I love honey, but this time, I wanted something that would tie into the dark tones of the cinnamon and nutmeg. Substitutions are fine. You don't have to run out to the store before making this. Use what you have and make thoughtful choices.

Since each author recommended a different baking time and temperature, I chose a moderate temperature of 300 degrees F and opted to check my granola every 10 minutes, giving it the requisite stir. Spread the mixture out evenly over the large pan to encourage even cooking. The wonderful perfume of roasting nuts and spices filled the kitchen. The texture and crunchiness determined when to remove the pan. Be careful when tasting, the granola is burning hot. Allow the granola to come to room temperature before mixing in an assortment of dried fruit. If you add the dried fruit too soon, it will get sticky and adhere to the hot pan and lose its shape.

The recipe makes an insane amount, roughly 8 cups. Store in a plastic container and it will keep indefinitely.


Cinnamon Raisin Granola

4 cups rolled old-fashioned oats
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 pinch salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup black raisins

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, chopped nuts, sunflower seeds, salt, and spices. Whisk together vegetable oil and maple syrup until well-blended. Pour the oil / syrup mixture onto the dry ingredients. Toss with a flexible spatula until the oats, nuts, and seeds are evenly coated. Empty the mix onto a large baking sheet (9 x 13 inch). Bake in the oven for 30 - 35 minutes, stirring with a spatula every 10 minutes, until the granola is golden brown and fragrant.

Allow granola to cool on the pan on a wire rack. Toss in the raisins. Mix to combine.

Serve with yogurt and fresh fruit or milk.

Store in a plastic container.