Homemade Granola

I am a granola snob (fun game to play: what are you a snob about? For example, I am a granola snob as well as a coffee, grocery store, shampoo, and gym pant snob. I just have expectations for these items to be the best of the best. And if they aren’t, then I am snobbily unhappy). I absolutely love granola, and as you may recall, absolutely love Blackberry Farm Granola. I have tried to make my own granola but have never been satisfied (I am a tough critic), until NOW! Big cluster maple granola from the cookbook “The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook” did the trick. And not just with the granola recipe, but with every recipe. Thank you, Smitten Kitchen!

Ingredients:

Ingredients. Simple.

* 3 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats

* 1 cup of unsweetened shredded/flaked coconut

* 1 cup of crushed walnuts (or any other type of nut)

* 2 tablespoons of olive oil

* 1/2 teaspoon of salt

* 1/2 cup of maple syrup

* 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon

* 1 large egg white

* 1 1/2 cups of dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, raisins)

The Smitten Kitchen cookbook. Everything about this is to-die-for. First of all, it reads like a novel, the pictures are divine, and the recipes themselves are winners. I can’t wait to try more recipes!

Directions:

* Preheat oven to 300 degrees

* Combine all ingredients but the egg white and dried fruit in a large bowl. Make sure to mix evenly.

Mixing everything together made me want to eat the “dough” before cooking it. It smells like perfection.

* Whisk the egg white in a small bowl until frothy.

Puff the egg whites. This, along with the syrup and olive oil, helps bind the granola together creating large chunks of granola.

* Mix the egg whites throughout the entire granola mixture

* On a parchment lined pan, spread the granola out to bake for 45-60 minutes. Halfway through, turn over sections to brown the other side.

Bake on parchment paper

* when brown and cool, add the dried fruit to the mixture

Raisins add a gooey and sweet texture to the mix

* Once cooled completely, put in a jar which will be fresh for 2 weeks. Let me tell you that my mixture “disappeared” within 5 days. And I was the only one who ate it. hmmmm……

Jar with homemade granola makes the perfect “feel better,” “happy holidays,” and “thank you” gift.

Don’t you want to reach your hand into the computer screen and grab a handful??

This granola is good on yogurt, with almond milk, sprinkled on ice cream, or gobbled up plain. IT IS SO GOOD. Enjoy!