Homemade Granola

I’ve never been a huge fan of granola until recently. My experience hasn’t always been positive even though I’ve most probably tried several types and yet none really shouted, ‘this is it!’.   My husband and I were away last month and the hotel we stayed in included breakfast. One of the items on the breakfast menu was natural yogurt topped with their homemade granola. This was my opportunity to give it another go and I was pleasantly surprised enough to want to make it when I returned home. I recalled seeing a recipe from Curtis Stone’s book but glossed it over because of my previous experiences. I think what makes his recipe enticing are the ingredients. A basic granola recipe has rolled oats, nuts and honey which is bland if you ask me. This one is spiced up. The names Granula and Granola were trademarked terms in the late nineteenth century United States for foods consisting of whole grain products crumbled and then baked until crispy. Granula was invented in Dansville, New York, by Dr. James Caleb Jackson at the Jackson Sanitarium in 1894. The Jackson Sanitarium was a prominent health spa that operated into the early twentieth century.  Rolled oats is an excellent source of fiber (good for digestion), and the fruits and nuts in granola can contain important vitamins and promote good health.

Makes 6 cups
recipe from Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone
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1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup packed, light brown sugar
2 cups of rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
1 cup shelled sunflower seeds
1 cup whole almonds
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 180c (350f). Combine the butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, and stir for 1 minute or until the butter has completely melted. Add the honey, maple syrup, and brown sugar and stir for 2 minutes or until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a simmer. Set it aside.

Spray a large heavy baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Combine oats, pumpkins seeds, sunflower seeds, and almonds in a big bowl. Drizzle the warm syrup over the oat mixture and toss to coat well. Transfer the oat mixture to the prepared baking sheet, forming an even layer. Bake, stirring constantly, for 30 minutes or until the mixture is dry.

Stir in the cranberries and raisins and continue baking for 10 minutes or until the granola darkens slightly. The granola will be soft but once it cools it will become crunchy. Transfer baking sheet to a cooking rack and let the granola cool completely. It will set into chunks, so simply break it up into smaller bits.


The Culinary Chase’s Note: I love all the ingredients especially the honey and maple syrup. The sweetness from these two really helps make the granola delicious. You can eat this by itself as a snack, served with milk for a great start to the day or with poached fruits.