Homemade granola

Yep, made granola today. I make my own because that way you can control the amount of sugar, no HFCS, and it just makes the house smell soooo goood.

I started with the recipe here, which I have found very simple and reliable, and tripled it. So as I go I'll give you my amounts and what I added.





I started by chopping two big handfuls of pecans. They're listed as optional in the recipe, but my brother Sian is such a sweet tooth that I can't skip any chance of getting something nutritious into him. Chop them coarsely, you want fairly big chunks.





Next I mixed the dry ingredients. That's 3 cups of old-fashioned oats, 3 cups of rolled oats, 1/4 cup of flaxseed and 1/3 cup wheat germ (again, more nutrition in my brother), 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon each of allspice, ginger and garam masala. The extra spices give you granola that tastes a little like a gingersnap. It's good to mix this with your hands, to try to get the spices to mix evenly, then tend to sift to the bottom.





The liquids are mixed seperately, then poured over the oats. 3/4 of a cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup of vegetable oil, 3/4 cup honey, 1 tablespoon of vanilla.

Here's an odd thing I leanred recently, since sugar has such a low melting point, in a baking recipe it counts as a liquid. Weird.





So, the liquid, sugar and all, is poured into the oats. They I placed them in two baking sheets, well lined with parchment.





If you've never used parchment paper to bake with you simply MUST try it. It makes cleaning up the easiest thing, and nothing ever sticks. I wouldn't be able to keep up with the baking at my brother's place without it.

Make sure you get a really flat, even layer so the oats toast evenly.

Into the oven at 325 for 10 minutes. Then out, mix it up so that it will toast on the other side, flatten it back out, and sprinkle sliced almonds over everytihing.





Make sure you switch the pans around on the racks every time you add nuts, so it will all toast evenly.

Repeat it five minutes later, only this time with the chopped pecans.






Ten more minutes and out of the oven. Your house will smell amazing, simply wonderful.

I suggest you serve it with milk, of course, or with some of your favorite yoghurt.