Granola

Mom used to make granola for me in the 1970's. I would take a jar of it back to the one room I lived in when I went to university. I have never made it myself but my daughter was making some today so I looked up a recipe, modified it and made this batch. I have one complaint about it...
It is too good, and rather addictive.
Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon or less salt
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup walnuts
1/4 cup coarsely ground or whole flaxseeds (optional)
1/3-1/2 cup raisins or other dried fruit
(Add 1 to 1-1/3 cups of nuts/dried fruit of your choice to 2 cups of oats)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a cookie sheet.
In a large bowl, toss the oats with the cinnamon and salt.
In a medium bowl, stir together the oil, maple syrup and vanilla. Whisk until completely combined.
Pour the mixture over the oats and flaxseed mixture and and mix thoroughly until all grains are coated.
Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread it out evenly, but leave a few clumps here and there for texture.
Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a metal spatula to lift and flip the granola. Sprinkle the walnuts over the granola and return the baking sheet to the oven.
Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a metal spatula to lift and flip the granola. Bake for 5-10 minutes until nicely toasted, then remove from the oven. Let cool completely. Sprinkle the dried fruit over the granola.

August 2012

I experimented with a yummy variation of this granola. Forget the cocoa krispie cereal!

Chocolate Granola

Add 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Use coconut oil 
Substitute 1 tbsp blackstrap molasses and agave syrup for the sweetener
Use dried cherries for the fruit