Granola

Yes, I am crazy enough to make my own granola. Which is actually very easy. If you can measure ingredients and turn on the stove, you also can have your ideal, perfect granola just the way you like it.

This version is adapted from a recipe by David Lebovitz, and makes a lot of granola. It is hearty enough that 1/2 cup, with some blueberries, will keep you full all morning. The recipe makes a lot, and lasts for a few weeks in an airtight container in the pantry.

Pumpkin Granola

5 cups old fashioned rolled oats

2 cups chopped raw nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, pecans – I use a mixture

1 cup sunflower seeds

3/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds – also called pepitas

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 generous teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp kosher salt

3/4 – 1 cup pumpkin puree or sweet potato puree (not pie filling)

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 Tbs honey

2 Tbs. canola oil

Preheat oven to 300 F

1. In a small saucepan heat the pumpkin, maple syrup, honey and oil until warm and loose enough to pour.
2. In a large bowl, mix oats, nuts, seeds, brown sugar, spices and salt
3. Add pumpkin-syrup mixture and mix thoroughly.
4. Spread the granola onto two large jelly-roll pans, or three smaller ones, lined with parchment paper if you have it.
5. Bake until a deep golden brown, about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes so the outsides don’t burn before the middle is done.
6. Let cool completely in pans, then put into an airtight container.

Enjoy! I wait to add fruit as I eat the granola, since I like fresh berries if I can find good ones. Also, I don’t want dried fruit when I add granola to yogurt.