Recipe: Grandma's Granola

When I was a kid, we would often go to visit my Swedish grandmother in Cape Cod.  One of my favorite memories is of her granola - she always had a canister of it made, and always admonished us to only have 1/4 c serving "or you're overeating."

A few years ago, one of my sisters made a bunch of it, and gave us containers to hold it in, complete with a 1/4 c scoop.

It's then up to us to keep the canister full.

It's a very versatile recipe.  The recipe I am posting here is somewhat different from Grandma's recipe, and you can alter it to your own taste pretty freely.  I've even seen recipes online that omit the oil and use frozen fruit juice concentrate.  I have not tried that yet, but I find it interesting.

It's delicious with yogurt for breakfast, or as a snack.  I can't send it to school, because I put nuts in it, and I like her to be nut-safe, but you could also leave out the nuts.


Grandma's Granola

4 c rolled oats
1/2 c wheat germ
1/2 c oat bran
1 c shredded coconut
1/2 c dry milk
1/4 c ground flax seeds
1 c slivered almonds

1/2 c maple syrup (real only please.  If you only have the fake stuff, just use honey)
1/4 c oil

1 1/2 c dried fruit (I used King Arthur Flour Fruitcake Fruits: dried apricots, raisins, pineapple, dates, and cranberries)

In a very large bowl, combine the dry ingredients, except for the dried fruit. Mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil and maple syrup. Pour over the dry mixture in the bowl, stirring and tossing till everything is very well combined.

Spread granola on a couple of large lightly greased baking sheets; a half-sheet pan is ideal. (I used four 11x13" baking pans) Bake in a preheated 250°F oven for about 45-60 minutes, stirring the mixture with a heatproof spatula, spoonula, or turner every 15 minutes or so.

Watch it carefully so it doesn't burn!!! If it looks toasted and smells good, it's pretty much done. Burning granola is a very very sad thing.

When the granola is a light–to–medium golden brown, remove it from the oven and cool completely on the pans. Transfer the granola to a large bowl, and mix in the dried fruit.

Store in a tightly closed container at room temperature for several weeks; freeze for extended storage