{"id":5068,"date":"2013-03-11T12:10:37","date_gmt":"2013-03-11T18:10:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hottie-biscotti.com\/blog\/?p=5068"},"modified":"2013-03-11T12:10:37","modified_gmt":"2013-03-11T18:10:37","slug":"my-favorite-granola","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hottie-biscotti.com\/blog\/2013\/03\/11\/my-favorite-granola\/","title":{"rendered":"My Favorite Granola"},"content":{"rendered":"

Granola is one of those foods I often see on lists with titles like, “Foods you Thought<\/em> Were Good for You!” \u00a0And I guess it’s true that many store bought granolas are full of sugar and other not-too-healthy ingredients. \u00a0But if you make your own, then you have control over what goes into it. \u00a0I’m not saying this is perfect health food or that it is “good for you”. \u00a0But I do know that it is delicious.<\/p>\n

This is my favorite granola. \u00a0I brought a bag of it to Christmas with my family this year and everyone loved it. \u00a0I’m pretty sure it was gone in just a couple of days. \u00a0You can change the nuts and fruits in this to personalize it to your taste. \u00a0If you like chocolate in yours, I’d suggest dark or semi sweet chips. \u00a0My favorite combination is pecans, almonds, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, cherries and blueberries.<\/p>\n

\"granola\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I like to eat this granola on top of some plain yogurt. \u00a0Or I’ll mix a couple spoonfuls of it in with my Kashi cereal to make things a little more interesting.<\/p>\n

This recipe came from a Bon Appetit magazine, probably 5 or 6 years ago. \u00a0Since I started making it I’ve changed some things, but one thing I haven’t changed is the special instruction to store it in the freezer<\/em><\/span><\/strong>. \u00a0By doing this the moisture from the fruit doesn’t soften the granola. \u00a0I’ve never not done this. \u00a0When I’m bringing the granola somewhere I keep the granola and the fruit\u00a0separate until I find a freezer. \u00a0If you’re brave enough to try storing it at room temp, let me know how it goes. \u00a0Enjoy!<\/p>\n

My Favorite Granola<\/h2>\n

Adapted from Bon Appetit<\/em><\/p>\n

Ingredients<\/em><\/p>\n

    \n
  • 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats<\/span><\/li>\n
  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes<\/li>\n
  • 1\/3 cup vegetable oil<\/li>\n
  • 1\/3 cup dark brown sugar<\/li>\n
  • 1\/4 cup honey<\/li>\n
  • 1\/2-1 teaspoon cinnamon<\/li>\n
  • 1\/4 teaspoon kosher salt<\/li>\n
  • 1\/2 cup roughly chopped pecans<\/li>\n
  • 1\/2 cup roughly chopped almonds<\/li>\n
  • 1\/2 cup green pumpkin seeds<\/li>\n
  • 1 cup dried cherries<\/li>\n
  • 1\/2 cup dried cranberries<\/li>\n
  • 1\/2 cup dried blueberries<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Directions<\/em><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Preheat oven to 325\u00b0F.<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. Stir together oats, coconut, oil, sugar, honey, \u00a0cinnamon, salt and nuts in a large bowl.<\/li>\n
    3. Spread mixture evenly on a large rimmed baking pan. \u00a0Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden, between 25 and 30 minutes. \u00a0Watch carefully after 20 minutes. \u00a0You do not want it to get too dark.<\/li>\n
    4. Remove the granola from the oven and set the pan on a rack to cool, the granola will be soft. \u00a0It will harden up as it cools.<\/li>\n
    5. After it is cool, stir in the fruit. \u00a0Store in a sealed container in the freezer.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n