Homemade Granola: Deemed Worth It

"Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy." Homemade Granola with Dried Apricots, Figs and Cranberries.

I noticed a pair of my good friends always have store-bought granola in the house. I recently decided they needed to have some homemade granola as a gift and I hit paydirt. One half of the pair is an avid cyclist and burns 5,467,893 calories a day; and apparently granola is one of his daily tank fillers.

Does my addition of raw oats and bran technically make it meusli? Dunno, but I do know the raw oats add a new texture, taste and color to the finished granola and keeps the granola from being too oily while the bran sneaks in some extra nutrients. Feel free to subsitute other whole rolled grains like spelt, rye or barley for some of the oats. 

I like to check in advance whenever using dried fruit in a recipe intended for someone else, but I wanted to surprise them and I figured that if I diced the apricots and figs very finely that they wouldn't overwhelm any one mouthful. I think this is true of most things people dislike or avoid - there is a way to do it right. To get that perfect dice on apricots, I have a system I will tell you about later. :)

The difference between storebought granola and homemade is remarkable, except perhaps for this stuff,which is addictive.

Worth all the trouble? Yes. Granola is so darn easy to make yourself that you might as well, especially since it allows you to control the amount of oil and sugar and chemicals you are eating AND get the perfect mix of grains, fruits and nuts you like.

After all this you might think I eat bowlfuls of granola all the time. No, after making a large batch and giving most of it away, my favorite things to do with granola are to sprinkle it over plain greek yogurt for breakfast or over apples to make the world's easiest fruit crisp for dessert. 

But you should have a bowl. 

 (granola recipe and apricot process photos after the jump!)

First, stack the dried halves in three. Any more and the pressure you will have to use to cut through them, even with a Good Knife, will squish the fruit too much, and they won't separate cleanly into cubes.

Then slice each stack of three with 3-4 four lengthwise cuts.If you are working with particularly sticky fruit (dates, for example) coat your knife with cooking spray to cut more cleanly.

Finally, cut those adorable matchsticks in 3-4 crosswise cuts to achieve the bokeh dice below.

 

Homemade Granola with Dried Apricots, Figs and Cranberries 

Adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (which actually was another adaptation)

5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, divided

2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut (I like Mounds brand over Baker's)

2 cups sliced almonds

2/3 cup vegetable oil (canola, safflower or grapeseed)

1/2 cup good honey

1/2 cup oat or wheat bran

1-1/2 cups small-diced dried apricots

1 cup small-diced dried figs

1 cup dried cranberries (coarsely chopped cherries would also be awesome)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Toss 4 cups of the oats (saving 1 cup for later), coconut and almonds together in a very large bowl.

Spray a liquid measuring cup (2-cup or larger) with cooking spray, then pour into the measuring cup the oil and honey. (You can use a small bowl as well; I just like to mix in measuring cups whenever possible to cut down on dirty dishes.) Whisk together and pour over the oat mixture. 

Stir with a wooden spoon until all the oats and nuts are coated. Pour onto two 13x18" baking sheets (preferably rimmed) and shake into an even layer.

Bake, stirring/shaking occasionally, until the granola turns a nice, even golden brown, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and return to the bowl. Allow to cool, stirring occassionally. Add the remaining cup of oats and the bran, then dried fruits.

Store the cooled granola in an airtight container. I t will keep up to week at room temperature. Freeze for up to a month, but SERIOUSLY. You won't have it a month.

Comments

[snookydoodle]

i love granola :)

[rachelino]

Me too, snookydoodle. And nice work on those Maltese cupcakes! I would love to travel to Malta.

[emma]

My fiance and I were gifted this granola last December and L-O-V-E-d it.

[robotbearpants]

I like the photo of the whole and chopped dried apricots separated by the knife. To my untrained eye, it could pass for published pro work.