Granola

Last week Brett and Amy came for a visit. For those of you who don't know, Brett and Amy left San Francisco, moved their things to Denver, and took a 5 month trip to Australia and Southeast Asia. Recently they returned and are making the rounds visiting family and friends before settling in Denver. Luckily they took a long weekend trip to see us. I was very excited to have a reason to cook and took the opportunity to make homemade granola. I had never made it before and was surprised at how easy it was. I made my first batch on Sunday and haven't been able to stop making/eating it the entire week. I think it is quickly becoming a staple in the Boleski home.

Granola

3 c. rolled oats
3/4 c. slivered almonds
1/2 c. sunflower seeds
1/2 c. pecan halves or pieces
1/2 c. coconut
1-2 T. cinnamon (to taste)
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. wheat germ (to taste)
2 T. sesame oil (other neutral oils like grapeseed or canola, or unsalted butter may be substituted)
1/2 c. Grade A Dark Amber pure maple syrup
1/2 c. raisins
1/2 c. currants
(any dried fruit may be substituted or added)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and place rack in center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine oats, nuts, seeds, wheat germ, cinnamon, coconut, and salt.

In a small bowl, stir together the oil (or melted butter), and maple syrup. Pour this mixture over the dry mixture and toss together, making sure all the dry ingredients are coated with the liquid. Spread onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes - stirring every 10 minutes - until golden brown. Place on a wire rack to cool. The granola may still be sticky when it is removed from the oven, but it will become crisp and dry as it cools. Make sure to break up any large clumps of granola while the mixture is still warm. Once the granola has completely cooled, add the dried fruit and store in an airtight container or plastic bag in the refrigerator. It will keep for several weeks.

Makes 5-6 cups.

Recipe altered from original. To find original recipe, visit The Joy of Baking.