I'm a snacker.
I don't like a big meal.
I like to snack.
And one of my favorite snack foods is granola.
In particular - Mr. Hawthorne's granola.
I never paid much attention when he made the granola,
but after a while, I decided I needed a recipe, just in case he wasn't around
and I was craving granola.
Here it is right out of the pan.
And yes. I had to have a pinch off the corner.
Mr. Hawthorne has never measured.
He just adds stuff and works with it until it "looks right."
With that in mind, I stood behind Mr. Hawthorne,
watching over his shoulder, guestimating, as he produced this batch of granola.
As I said, he doesn't measure anything. He does it all by hand and feel.
And the "recipe" is not etched in stone. Sometimes he uses pecans. Sometimes peanuts.
Sometimes, instead of coconut oil, he might use vegetable or canola oil.
Sometimes he might use raisins instead of craisins.
Sometimes he might use light brown sugar.
Sometimes he might use dark corn syrup.
Sometimes he might throw in a little orange zest.
It's always good.
Mr. Hawthorne's Granola
1/4 cup pistachios
1/4 cup salted, roasted, pumpkin kernels
1 1/2 cups oatmeal (He uses quick cooking oats.)
1/2 cup craisins, chopped
1/2 cup coconut
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 TB coconut oil
2 TB light corn syrup
2 TB molasses
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well by hand. The blending has to be consistent with no lumps. Mr. Hawthorne takes his time blending. It's the most important part.
Next he covers a 10 x 12 baking tray with parchment paper and presses the mixture evenly onto the paper. This goes into our non-pre-heated toaster oven which he turns on to 325°. After 8 minutes, he pats it down, rotates the pan, then gives it another 8 minutes. Remove from oven, press down again, then leave it alone and let it cool. Break into pieces, place in container, and hide.
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