Green Mountain Granola

Sharon123's Note:

This simple but lovely granola comes from the Green Mountain Inn in Stowe, Vermont. I love the addition of maple syrup! A little history: Sylvester Graham develops Graham flour and Graham Crackers; later, Dr. James C. Jackson uses sheets of baked Graham flour, broken up, rebaked and broken up again to create "Granula". Then Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, a Seventh Day Adventist and director of their Battle Creek Sanitarium, develops a mix of baked and rebaked whole grains, and also calls it "Granula", which was later made famous by Charles W. Post, remaking it and calling it Grape Nuts.

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 15

Yield: 7.5 cups

• 1⁄3; cup butter
• 1⁄3; cup maple syrup
• 4 ½ cups oats
• 1 ½ cups coconut
• ¾ cup walnuts
• ¾ cup almonds or ¾ cup pecans
• 1 ½ tablespoons cinnamon

Optional additions

• ½-2⁄3; cup dried cranberries (optional) or ½-2⁄3; cup dried apricots (optional) or ½-2⁄3; cup any dried fruit (optional)
• 1 cup raisins (optional)

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a 9"x13" pan. Add the 1/3 cup maple syrup.
2. Now mix together in a bowl the oats, coconut, walnuts, almonds or pecans, and cinnamon, then add to syrup, mixing all together, then pressing into one layer in pan.
3. Bake at 325*F. for 15 to 25 mins.(watch carefully during the last 10 minutes so they don't get too brown), remove from oven, cool, break up into chunks, and then add: ½ cup to 2/3 cup dried cranberries, apricots, or any dried fruit and 1 cup raisins. Enjoy!

Reviews

[Born2cook]

Why am I buying granola at the store?? Never again. I've never seen a recipe so easy as this! Now my mixture didn't bind together when I pressed it down so there was no breaking up to do. In fact after 20 minutes it wasn't getting brown so I divided it between two pans and uped the temp to 375 and after 20 minutes more it was browned lightly and just perfect. The sweetness is just as I like. You must try this. I'll throw out my other recipies with 20 ingredients!

[magpie diner]

Fantastic granola, it has been years since I made any but with the price of good quality organic brands, it was time to have another go at it. This is an ideal recipe because it's so easy and you can customize as you wish. This time I made half the batch, which nearly filled my canning/storage jar, and left out the walnuts. I think the amount of maple sweetness is perfect. Thanks for another great one Sharon!

[Lalaloula]

This granola is awesome!!!! It is perfectly sweet, has a lovely array of flavours plus it is super easy and rather quick to make. What more could you wish for?! LOVED this! :)
I reduced the butter by half adding a tad water to the syrup to make up for the missing liquid and it worked out nicely. For the fruits I used half raisins and half currants which added a lovely fruityness.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing this winner with us, Sharon! It will be a staple in our house from now on.
Made and reviewed during your Cookathon October 2010.