Thursday, July 15, 2010

Everything Granola

This is my 200th post! Amazing. I probably should have posted a lot more by now if I were truly dedicated. But a busy lass is easily carried away by other pursuits, especially when she is involved in a wonderful relationship. Rabbit trail...

This is my basic granola recipe. You will hate this recipe because I never measure anything except the honey, so the proportions are up to you. But therein lies the magic of this recipe--you can adjust it endlessly to your mood, preferences, or pantry. It's wholesome, hearty, and absolutely delicious. Try finding anything half as good at a grocery store. There's also something liberating and texturally pleasing about throwing a bunch of ingredients into a big bowl and tossing them around. This recipe is an exercise in anti-micromanagement. I know that bakers have a tendency to want to measure everything out to the gram--myself included. Challenge yourself and live dangerously.

Everything Granola
makes as much or as little as you like*

rolled oats (proportionally, you will use the most of this ingredient)
raw pumpkin seeds
raw sunflower seeds
sesame seeds
raw nuts of your choice (walnuts, cashews, almonds, etc.)**
millet
poppy seeds
flax seed meal
wheat germ
about 2 T. whole wheat flour
salt
spices (a favorite of mine is garam masala, but other warm spices work well, too)

about 3/4 c. unsalted butter
1 c. honey
1/4 c. molasses or sorghum

1.) Preheat oven to 350.

2.) Put butter, honey, and molasses in a small saucepan and melt over low heat.

3.) Combine all dry ingredients. Spread this mixture in a thin layer on rimmed cookie sheets. You may need to use a couple or a few cookie sheets if you make a large batch. Bake 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

4.) Remove toasted granola from oven and pour butter mixture over it. Stir to mix thoroughly.

5.) Return to oven for another 30-45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until granola is browned.

6.) Cool completely before storing in containers or plastic bags.

*I usually make a rather large batch of this granola, as it keeps well.
**I have used coconut with great success in this recipe, but you'll want to add it about 10 minutes before granola is done baking, as adding it earlier will cause it to burn.

2 comments:

Camille said...

Love garam masala in granola. Any marketing of said product yet? Wish you well!

meg said...

Unfortunately not. My other job is just a little too much to keep me from the granola project right now. But the idea is still alive!