Granola, from Episode 26
Bossy's granola is the perfect blend of healthy grains and delicious fruits. She recently discovered, thanks to her husband's not so stellar physical, that you can cut the sugar by quite a bit and not even miss it! For this recipe, you do not have to respect the proportions (you can add more or less fruit, substitute different grains and seeds, etc.) but you do need to respect the process!
Bootie and the rest of the family look forward to receiving the granola every year in her Xmas and birthday packages and now that she knows how easy it is to make, she looks forward to making it herself. Wait a second, this is exactly what happened when Bootie encouraged Bossy to knit! Bootie has been had! Oh well, she can now console herself with a bowl of granola and it makes so much that she might even share with her friends. Seen here as part of a complete breakfast.
Bossy's Homemade Granola
Preheat the oven to 350
Mix together in a large bowl:
32 oz. bag Red Mill Rolled Oats extra thick
1 12 oz. pkg. Red Mill shredded unsweetened coconut
1 c. oat bran
1 c. sesame seeds
1 c. golden flax seeds—whole
Put in a microwave for 3 minutes:
2/3 c. canola or vegetable oil
1 generous cup of honey
½ c. packed brown sugar—light or dark (whatever you have)--this is the low-sugar option; Bossy used to put in 1 and 1/2 c. packed brown sugar until, you know, the doctor's visit. You can cut back on the sugar, but you don't want to cut back on the honey because you need enough liquid to coat the grains so that they will clump together.
Then add:
2 Tbs. heaping cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs. vanilla (homemade!)
Zest of one orange
Mix together the wet into the dry and spread out on two half sheet pans or large cookie sheets with an edge about an inch high, lined with parchment. Mix together with your hands so that the dry ingredients are evenly coated and spread out in an even layer with neat edges for even cooking.
Cook for 12 minutes.
Take out and stir around getting the stuff on the bottom mixed together
Cook for another 12 minutes
Sprinkle about 1 c. of sliced almonds and mix together again.
Then cook for 10 more minutes.
Then add the dried fruit while it is still hot—about a cup to a cup and a half per cookie sheet—I usually use a combination of dried cranberries and dried cherries. Let cool on the cookie sheet—it will stick together and make this big granola brick, but you just break it apart and put it in a gallon bag or sealed Tupperware container. It makes two full one-gallon bags of granola. Cook each tray separately.
Tip: Use a silicon spatula to stir, or a silpat instead of the parchment paper—the parchment paper is good because it creates a kind of bowl.
You can feel very virtuous sashaying down the cereal aisle, filling your cart with Bob's Red Mill grains. So far, Bob's Red Mill has not offered us any compensation for this plug. But at least their bags do not appear to be shrinking. Looking at you, General Mills.
A glimpse of Bossy's legendary cookbook.
Bossy tossing together the grains with the honey, sugar, and oil.
The grains after they have baked.
Adding the slivered almonds.
Add the fruit after the third baking, while the granola is still hot (but don't bake it again or the fruit will burn).
Toss with a silicon spatula.
The granola will stick together, like sisters that love each other. You can break it apart once it is fully cooled, then package it and dole it out to all your granola-worthy friends and family.
