I Can’t Post This One Enough

As a food blogger, I have found that I frequently get asked two questions by those around me.  One is if I have a source for good, local meat products.  I’m still working on compiling a complete list for this one.  The second question is if I have a recipe for something.  I get asked for quite a few recipes- and I always love helping out in finding one if I don’t have a recipe.  Today’s recipe is one I’ve posted before, and raved about before, but it also happens to be my most frequently asked-for recipe.

I tried a few recipes for granola before trying this one.  Many of them called for a really long list of ingredients- including, but not limited to apple juice concentrate, powdered milk, corn syrup, honey, sugar, salt, orange juice concentrate, spices, seasonings, baby food purees, and boxes of pre-made cereal.  I had been watching a series then on Food Network called Cooking Thin, starring Kathleen Dahlmans, and she made this Crunchy Granola.  What struck me was that there was nothing in it! There wasn’t this long list of crazy ingredients, and it just sounded too good to be true.

So I made a batch and could not believe that this was the best homemade granola I’d ever tasted.  It tasted amazing- slightly sweet, nutty, toasty, and wonderful.  It’s now our standard granola, and a batch never lasts long in our house. You are limited on the add-ins by your imagination.  My favorite is dried blueberries with pecans, but I most often make it with dried cranberries and walnuts, because I always have those around.  When you do make this granola, also make sure you use the old-fashioned rolled oats and not the quick cooking kind.   Feel free to also add a 1/4 teaspoon or so of cinnamon to your brown sugar mixture.  I don’t always add it, but that also adds a delicious cinnamon flavor to the granola that can’t be beat.

Crunchy Granola 

from Kathleen Dahlmans

1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
8 cups rolled oats
2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, or slivered almonds
dried fruit, if desired

Preheat oven to 275º F.
Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and reserve. Combine brown sugar and water in a 4-cup microwave proof glass measuring cup or bowl. Place in microwave on high for 5 minutes and cook until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from microwave, add vanilla extract and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, nuts, and brown sugar syrup mixture. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Spread the granola onto cookie sheets and bake 45 minutes to 1 hour or until golden and crunchy. When the mixture comes out of the oven, it is still very pliable. You may choose to add in dried fruit as a finishing touch at this time. When granola has cooled completely, store in an airtight container.