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Monday, February 15, 2010

Best Ever Homemade Granola

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I realize I may offend some people with this title. After all, lots of people make homemade granola these days and lots of people probably think their version is pretty darn good. I don't doubt it; I would always choose the homemade stuff over the store-bought. However, this truly is the best homemade granola I've ever had. I can't say the best granola I've ever made because, well, I've never made this. My mom's the genius behind this stuff and I've decided not to mess with perfection. I've found that sometimes I try to recreate my mom's recipes and they just aren't as good. I can't set myself up for that kind of disappointment with this granola! Instead, I patiently wait for those lucky days when I visit or my mom comes to see us and brings a large batch of this with her. She's the best, as is this recipe. Try it--you might never need another granola recipe again! This stuff is great with yogurt or milk, as a topping for oatmeal, or plain and eaten by the handful :)


Best Ever Homemade Granola

Ingredients:
-3 cups regular oats, uncooked
-1 cup flaked coconut
-1/2 cup raw sliced almonds
-1/4 cup wheat germ
-1/4 cup oat bran
-1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
-1 cup raw pecans
-1 cup raw walnuts
-1 cup raw cashews
-1/4 cup honey
-1/4 cup safflower oil
-2 tbsp water
-2 tbsp brown sugar
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Combine the first 9 ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
3. Mix together the next 7 ingredients. Pour this mixture over the oat mixture and stir until well coated.
4. Spread mixture evenly in a 9 x 13 baking dish.
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. **After the first 15 minutes, stir granola every 5 minutes until done.

*note, you can stir in raisins or craisins once the granola is finished baking, but my mom usually leaves it as is! You can also modify the nuts based on what you have available--sometimes my mom adds whole almonds instead of sliced or hazelnuts--it's all equally yummy!