Granola

I never realized how much better homemade granola is than anything you can buy in a store! This "Granola" recipe (page 521) is one I have made repeatedly, and consider it one of the shining stars of this book. Surprisingly (and happily!) the recipe as written contains no added oils, which is somewhat hard to come by in store bought varieties. The base ingredients are oats, almonds, sunflower seeds, raisins, coconut, maple syrup, cinnamon, and allspice. But this is just a start, as there are endless variations to try. Any rolled whole grain could fill in for the oats; walnuts or pecans can sub for the almonds; leave out the coconut if you're not a fan; used other dried fruits instead of raisins. No matter the combination, the end result is sure to please. I found I had to make a couple of adjustments to the instructions to make it work for me. First of all, I don't have a pan (nor an oven) big enough to accommodate the full recipe (which starts with 5 ½ cups of oats), so I always cut the recipe in half. I also found that 300 degrees isn't hot enough in my oven, so I have been roasting the granola closer to 325-350 degrees. I also found that the suggested roasting time (10 minutes initially with part of the ingredients, then another 15 with everything in the pan) isn't long enough to yield a crisp and dry granola. I've been adding another full 30 minutes, taking the pan out of the oven every 15 minutes and stirring, to get a crispy, golden and dry end product. One other hint: If you want to keep the dried fruit soft and chewy, add it after the granola comes out of the oven for the last time.

 

"Keeping it McDougall Friendly" checklist:

ü     Omit the coconut to avoid saturated fats.