Granola Recipe
I love food blogs. Love! I’m subscribed to way too many and they fill up my email inbox like nothing else fills up my email inbox. How did this start? I found Heidi Swanson’s 101 Cookbooks a few years ago and became slightly obsessed, getting pulled in through the magic of internet networking to find more and more and more food blogs. Anyway, Ms. Swanson has a couple cookbooks published, one of which is called “Super Natural Every Day,” and that’s where I found a recipe for granola that I made today. It’s tasty, tasty, tasty.
Her recipe ordinarily calls for walnuts, but I used hazelnuts because that’s what I had. Also, I had one lemon while she wanted two oranges. This is granola and the recipe can stand a little tinkering, so use whatever you’ve got. And you know what? It’s delicious! I didn’t know I would love the lemon zest in this so much, but I do. Beware, for there’s a punk song in the works about the tasty, tasty crunch of granola.
Granola, adapted from “Super Natural Every Day”
- 4 cups rolled oats
- 1.5 cups hazelnuts
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- zest of one lemon
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- dash nutmeg
- dash ground ginger
- 2/3 cup dried currants
Heat the oven to 300 degrees F with two racks evenly spaced in the oven. You’ll need two rimmed baking sheets, or if you’re like me and your oven is too small for the one baking sheet you do have, use an old, warped springform pan and a glass pie dish.
Mix the oats, hazelnuts, and coconut in a large bowl. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the maple syrup, salt, lemon zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. When the spices are incorporated pour the maplebutter over the oats and nuts, stirring to combine.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, rotating the pans in the oven and stirring the granola in the pans every 10-20 minutes. When your house smells like nutty, cinnamony heaven and the oats and everything else are a pretty golden brown, you’ll know you’re done. Take the pans from the oven and press the granola with a spatula in order to make those nice granola clumps that are so much fun. Let cool.
When the oats are cool, fold in the currants. Enjoy with milk, or fruit and yogurt, and keep in an airtight container.
