Granola

A few years ago, my friend Lucy and I were in charge of the menu for our church's ladies' brunch. We decided on a delicious spread of french toast casserole, fresh fruit and puffed pastry tarts. One tart was layered with slices of juicy, red tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil before being drizzled with olive oil, and baked in the oven until puffed and golden. The other was inspired by a loaded baked potato--a potato and onion mash spread over the pastry, sprinkled with cheese and bacon and topped with splotches of sour cream after baking. So yum. 

The last part of our feast was yogurt topped with granola. We were going to go the simplest route and buy granola at the wholesale store. That is, until we saw the exorbitant prices and immediately decided that it couldn't be that hard to make granola. And we were right. Upon research, I found that making granola was as simple as measuring out oats and some spices, tossing with honey and oil and baking for 30 minutes in the oven. Really. That simple. And much cheaper than anything we could have bought in the store. Based on the reaction of the ladies, I think they thought it was tastier too.

Granola

Makes: about 3 cups

Total Time: Around 45 minutes

3 cups old-fashioned oats

3 T. packed, light brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup small diced fruit (optional)

1/2 cup seeds or chopped nuts (optional)

In a large bowl, stir together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.

In a small bowl, combine honey, oil and vanilla. 

Drizzle honey mixture over oat mixture and stir until oats are thoroughly coated.

Spread over a rimmed, ungreased half-sheet pan (18 x 13).

Bake for 15 minutes at 300 degrees. 

Stir and then bake for 10 - 15 more minutes, until oats are a light, golden brown.

Remove from oven and let sit for 20 to 30 minutes until completely cool. Stir often as it cools or you  will have a difficult time removing granola from the pan. 

Once cool, add any fruits or nuts that you wish (or none!) and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. 

Granola tastes delicious atop vanilla yogurt and sprinkled with your favorite fresh fruit. 

Recipe from Chowhound.