A Broad Reference

When I was little my mom made the most killer granola from shredded coconut, cornmeal and oats. It was a weekly production that involved a fresh coconut from the garden, husked and grated plus whatever grain- oats, cornmeal, wheatgerm etc was available. She mixed it with honey and oil and baked it in the oven. Delicious. It wasn't so much the hippie dippie movement as much as there weren't really many cereal options in Jamaica at the time. Plus we had an abundance of coconuts from the trees which made sense in that frugal thrifty developing world scenario.

Now that I've started this hi fiber 5-9 fruits and veg kick, I want a cereal with less sugar and more healthy ingredients. I searched around for a bunch of recipes, and came up with a basic ingredients list for granola that doesn't represent reality at all times but more the potential of being part of the mix at any given instance. I enjoy the oats so I start with a full cup of that. but everything else is kind of ad hoc (no coconut coz here it's a luxury- go figure!)

Pick a couple of ingredients to emphasize, I try to make it in small batches so that it's always crunchy and fresh. Plus if you don't like a batch or flavour, its not endless... The milk powder was something that Cafe Fanny adds to their granola. I find it helps with binding and also raises the protein content (Thanks for the tip Dan!) I've put stars * next to ingredients that pretty much make it into all of my granola. the rest is based on availability (ie do I have on hand in the pantry, or did I forget to replace after the last batch?)

Gwynie asked for a more complete recipe. So here it is.

Grains
1 1/2 C oats
1 C almond meal
2 Tbs flax seeds (coarsely grind)
1/4 C wheat bran

1/2 C powdered milk (nonfat)

Spices
1 Tbs coarse salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

Seeds/Nuts
1/2 C sliced almonds
1/4 C sunflower seeds
1/4 C pumpkin seeds
1/2 C walnuts

Sweetness & Crunch
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 C butter
2 Tbs walnut oil

Binders
1/4 C meyer lemon jam
1/2 C tahini

Pre-heat the oven to 275oF. You want a long slow bake. The size pan you use is relative to the amount of cereal you're making. The mix should be about 1 inch deep. I spread the mix out and pack it down, as if making bars. I try not to turn it because that breaks up the clumps which I prefer. About halfway thru I add the small seeds/nuts and fruit. (Any longer and they would burn!) Total baking time is about 45 to 60 minutes, depending on how crunchy you like it. Cut into small squares and use a spatula to lift off tray, these are great as granola bars. Most will have formed smaller chunks and bits that shatter off as you move it. Cool and store in an airtight container. Serve with milk or yogurt and fruit.