Pages

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Gourmet Granola - Best I've Ever Tasted!


I really appreciate the convenience of cold cereal but, being frugal and focused on eating healthy foods, I seldom buy the expensive store-bought kind.  Just before I accepted early retirement last year I began a quest to learn to make my own cold cereal from natural ingredients.  I found that, without specialized equipment, I could make either flakes or granola.  The whole grain flakes I made were delicious but they required so much time and energy that I decided they were not worth it (for flaked cereal I watch for sales on the bagged variety).  That has left me experimenting with various variations in the granola category in which I include my yummy Homemade Cracklin' Oat Bran, and the Vanilla Chocolate granola.

However, I have continued to tinker with my granola recipes and have landed on our current favorite.  It incorporates nuts and seeds (for heart-health we need to eat a serving per day of these natural wonders), coconut oil (a zero cholesterol fat that actually reduces your risk of heart disease), and rolled oats (soluble oat fiber is one of the most effective ways of lowering your bad cholesterol).  

Here are some of the secrets to this granola's terrific taste and tantalizing texture:
  • Lightly toasted nuts and seeds that are only coarsely chopped
  • Two different grinds of rolled oats for BOTH a binding base and a chunky chew
  • The mixture is compressed before baking, then cooled before being broken into delicious golden nuggets that are just as good for snacking as for a breakfast cereal

Here's how to make you own Gourmet Granola:


  • 1/2 Cup Coconut Oil
  • 1/2 Cup Maple Syrup (or Agave)
  • 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar (or your favorite sugar substitute)
  • 1 Tbs Cinnamon
  • 1 Tbs Vanilla Extract
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 6 Cups Rolled Oats
  • 1 Cup Nuts, Seeds, Dried Fruits etc. (in my batch I used walnuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds)
  • 1/2 Cup Shredded Coconut
Combine the coconut oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt in a microwave safe container and and heat for one minute at time (stirring in between) until you get thick dark syrup.  Roughly chop the nuts and seeds and roast in a thick-bottom pan (I like cast-iron) on medium heat until nicely browned (the seeds will begin to pop).  Stir frequently, don't use too high heat, and be patient so you don't burn them.  Put half the rolled oats into a food processor and pulse until they look like coarse sand.  Pulse the other half so they are just broken up (you want some of the rolled oat pieces larger than others).  

Mix all the ingredients together until well integrated, spread out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking pad, press down with a spatula or bench scraper (you want to compress the mixture so it will bake into a sheet that you can break into nuggets).  Bake at 325 degrees fahrenheit for 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack until it's just about room temperature.  Break it into nuggets (I transfer the baked sheet to a large cutting board and chop away with an ice pick, screw driver, or a knife).  Store in an airtight bag or container and it will stay fresh for weeks but, trust me, it won't last that long!  This stuff is so rich and delicious--nothing like the store-bought cardboardy kind that's painful to chew, and it's heart-healthy too and filled with antioxidants.

Enjoy!

2 comments:

  1. I'm totally laughing at chopping away with a screwdriver. I guess you are trying to appeal to the manly cooks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Absolutely Mark. Men have the "tools" to be great cooks too! =D

      Delete