Best Ever Granola

Submitted by blucoat

"This recipe is so good because it produces a granola with lots of clusters (due to the ground oats) and light, crisp flakes (from the quick oats). The recipe is from, Melissa Kronenthal of The Traveler's Lunchbox. She calls it "Seven-Year Granola" as it took her 7 years to develop this perfect recipe. If you want, you can substitute the ground oats with ready-made oat flour, or flax seed meal."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 30mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Yields: 8 cups
• Serves: 16

ingredients

• 1 lb quick oats (450g)
• 3 cups coarsely chopped raw nuts, and
• seeds (I like almonds, cashews & sunflower seeds- use whatever kind you like, 750ml or about 300g)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground mace
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar (200g)
• 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter (115g/1 stick) or 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1⁄3 cup water (80ml)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• dried fruit (I like dried cherries & dates, use as much or as little as you want)

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). In a food processor, coffee grinder or blender, grind half the oats to a fine powder. In a large bowl, combine the whole oats, ground oats, nuts, seeds and spices. In a microwave-safe bowl (or in a saucepan over medium heat), combine the brown sugar, butter and water and heat just until the butter has melted and the mixture is bubbly. Stir the mixture together until smooth, then stir in the salt and vanilla. Pour this mixture over the oats and nuts, stirring well to coat (it's easier to do this with your hands). It should be uniformly moist - stir in another tablespoon or two of water if it isn't. Let stand for about ten minutes.
2. Spread the mixture out on a large baking sheet, separating it into irregular clumps with your fingers, and allowing space between the clumps for the hot air to circulate. Slide into the middle of the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and stir, gently breaking up the mixture into small-to-medium sized clumps. Return to the oven and bake another 15 minutes or so before stirring again. Repeat the bake-and-stir until the mixture is a uniform golden brown and completely dry; this usually takes 1-1 1/2 hours. Cool completely, then stir in any dried fruit you want to use.
3. Store in a covered container at room temperature. Serve with milk or plain yogurt and fresh fruit as desired.