Rosie Makes Some Of The Best Granola/Trail Mix Squares

GRANOLA...

 It's one of my favorite things to eat.

I've found that as I've      aged      matured, I really can't eat full meals anymore.  They're just too much.  But, I can snack, nibble, and nosh all day long.  Enter granola.  It's perfect for snacking.  It's chewy.  It's crunchy.  It's nutty.  It's ... perfect. 

Mr. Hawthorne used to be in charge of the granola.  He'd see me eating handfuls of Quaker Oats granola right out of the box and said, "I can make that.  And I can make it better."  And he did.

Rosie, not to be culinarily deposed, had to get on the granola bandwagon too.

And so, I've come up with an excellent granola recipe which is highly adaptable to one's own tastes and proclivities.  I'm giving you the basic guidelines here, and you can try it out for yourself my way first, then go out on your own, adding here and there to suit yourself.  This is a recipe that can be played with.  Have fun!

Rosie's Granola

1/2 cup almonds

1/2 cup pecans

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup dried cranberries

2 cups coconut

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 cup packed light brown sugar

3 cups quick cooking oatmeal

Combine all ingredients very well.

1/3 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup honey

3 TB molasses

1/3 cup coconut oil

2 TB vanilla

1 tsp kosher salt

In a small sauce pan, combine corn syrup, honey, and molasses.  Bring to a simmer and cook about 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in coconut oil, vanilla, and salt.  Let cool a bit.

Slowly pour syrup into dry ingredients, stirring to coat evenly.  Take your time here, because you want that syrup distributed throughout the oats and nuts.

Line a 10 x 13 inch pan with parchment paper and heat oven to 325°.

Press granola mixture evenly into pan.

 I use an offset spatula to press around the corners, then I cover the mixture with plastic wrap and use a mini rolling pin up and down and back and forth to press and even out the mixture.

Bake in a 325° oven for 30-35 minutes total.  Every 10 minutes or so, rotate the pan and press down the granola mixture with your rolling pin.

When it's golden, remove from oven and let cool a bit.  Lift parchment and granola out of pan and slice into bars.

Now, for the step-by-steps, then I'll offer some suggestions and substitutions.

 In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients.

 

 Slowly, pour in simmered syrup, stirring constantly.

 
 Keep stirring and mixing.

 Pour onto a parchment lined 10 x 13-inch baking pan.

Cover with plastic wrap and press out evenly with a mini rolling pin.

This way and...

that way...

Take an offset spatula and neaten up those edges.

And bake.

Every 10 minutes, rotate the pan and roll the granola to press it down.

Let cool a bit.  Then invert and slice.

Let cool completely.

Rosie's Suggestions and Substitutions

This recipe is not etched in stone.

As for the nuts, use what you like.

Peanuts are a good choice, as are honey-roasted peanuts, which I threw in one time just because I had them.  Sunflower and/or pumpkin seeds are a great addition too.

One time I even threw in a handful of Honey Bunches of Oats cereal

and Youngest Hawthorne

recognized it and like it!

As for the nuts I use, I don't bother chopping them.  I generally use them whole, but sometimes I put them in a bag and run a rolling pin over top to lightly crumble.  It's up to you.

I do not use raisins, although I do use dried cranberries.  I think raisins have a tendency to take on a "burned" flavor, so I avoid them.  If you think of anything else you might want to add, say your preference of nuts or even dates (Go Medjool!  Not dried.), go right ahead.  The recipe is capable of taking on another cup of nutty, fruity goodness. 

Ooooh.

  Maybe next time

 I'll throw in some Grape Nuts! 

  

 

 

   

 

ENJOY!

Mr. Hawthorne Makes Granola.

 

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.

Mr. Hawthorne is the granola maker in the family.
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.

This is one of those "recipes" where there is no "recipe."

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.

Rosie Makes Granola.

 I decided to make some granola the other day.

I'm going with a basic formula:

3 parts grain

1 - 1 1/2 parts nuts

1/2 - 3/4 parts sweetener

1/4 - 1/2 parts oil

300° oven  35-40 minutes

If you want to experiment with granola,

use that formula as your starting point.

Rosie's Granola

3 cups oats
 1 cup peanuts

1 cup grape nuts

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 light corn syrup

1 cup coconut

1 pkg (5 oz) dried cherries

1/4 cup honey

3/4 stick melted unsalted butter

OK.
So I veered a little off the grid.
Not a problemo!

Mix all ingredients.

Spread evenly in greased pan.

300°  35-40 minutes

Cool in pan.

Break into pieces and enjoy.

These are delicious little morsels.

I put the pieces in Tupperware

and hid them in a cupboard.

 The next afternoon,

I was cleaning upstairs

and I found the remains on the floor next to the TV chair.

I'm glad I got the few morsels I did.

This just gives me another opportunity to make granola.

I might try adding coconut oil and maple syrup next time.

Oooooooh...