Fruit & Nut Granola
December 28, 2010 by Brianna
Jump-start your new year’s resolution to eat healthier by making a batch of fruit & nut granola! It freezes well so you can enjoy it with milk or yogurt throughout the start of the year.
Before Christmas my mom and I were browsing the baking section at the store, when we excitedly came across barley malt syrup (look for it in your natural foods store next to the molasses). It added a nice malty depth of flavor to the granola, but next time I think I’ll use more so that the flavor is more pronounced. For whatever reason, the dark brown color and the viscosity made me use it more sparingly than I should have. But the nice thing about granola is that if you (for the most part) keep the proportion of oats, oil, sweeteners, and mix-ins, you can add any combination of things, depending on what’s in your pantry. For example, we used half olive oil and half melted butter, a combination of barley malt syrup, honey, and maple syrup, and whatever nuts were in the freezer (almonds, walnuts, and pepitas). I’m sure every time we make it, it will be different! How fun!
And it’s not too late to surprise someone with a homemade gift! We love these glass jars we found at Dig in Santa Cruz. They come in several shapes and sizes for gifting your granola in a variety of ways (or storing it for yourself, of course).
Fruit & Nut Granola
(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)
Stir together all the ingredients, except the fruit, in a large bowl and stir until combined.
Line 2 large (17-by 12-inch) rimmed baking pans with foil, and then parchment paper.
Spread mixture evenly onto pans. Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown (be careful, it browns quickly towards the end), 20-30 minutes. Rotate pans halfway through baking, if one is on the top, and the other is on the bottom.
Transfer granola, in the pan, to a cooling rack, continuing to stir occasionally for about 30 minutes. When cool, stir in the dried fruit. Transfer to airtight containers and freeze, up to one month. If you leave it out, the fruit will soften it, but it will still taste delicious.
I have to share some pictures from Levi’s first Christmas! Here he is about to open his stocking on Christmas morning:
I’m pretty sure the best thing about Christmas was the wrapping paper and boxes! Yippee!
We hope everyone has a safe, festive, and fun New Years!
.%20It%20added%20a%20nice%20malty%20depth%20of%20flavor%20to%20the%20granola,%20but%20next%20time%20I%20think%20I%E2%80%99ll%20use%20more%20so%20that%20the%20flavor%20is%20more%20pronounced.%20For%20whatever%20reason,%20the%20dark%20brown%20color%20and%20the%20viscosity%20made%20me%20use%20it%20more%20sparingly%20than%20I%20should%20have.%20But%20the%20nice%20thing%20about%20granola%20is%20that%20if%20you%20(for%20the%20most%20part)%20keep%20the%20proportion%20of%20oats,%20oil,%20sweeteners,%20and%20mix-ins,%20you%20can%20add%20any%20combination%20of%20things,%20depending%20on%20what%E2%80%99s%20in%20your%20pantry.%20For%20example,%20we%20used%20half%20olive%20oil%20and%20half%20melted%20butter,%20a%20combination%20of%20barley%20malt%20syrup,%20honey,%20and%20maple%20syrup,%20and%20whatever%20nuts%20were%20in%20the%20freezer%20(almonds,%20walnuts,%20and%20pepitas).%20I%E2%80%99m%20sure%20every%20time%20we%20make%20it,%20it%20will%20be%20different!%20%20How%20fun!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAnd%20it%E2%80%99s%20not%20too%20late%20to%20surprise%20someone%20with%20a%20homemade%20gift!%20We%20love%20these%20glass%20jars%20we%20found%20at%20Dig%20in%20Santa%20Cruz.%20They%20come%20in%20several%20shapes%20and%20sizes%20for%20gifting%20your%20granola%20in%20a%20variety%20of%20ways%20(or%20storing%20it%20for%20yourself,%20of%20course).%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EFruit%20&%20Nut%20Granola%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E(Adapted%20from%20Smitten%20Kitchen)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EStir%20together%20all%20the%20ingredients,%20except%20the%20fruit,%20in%20a%20large%20bowl%20and%20stir%20until%20combined.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ELine%202%20large%20(17-by%2012-inch)%20rimmed%20baking%20pans%20with%20foil,%20and%20then%20parchment%20paper.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESpread%20mixture%20evenly%20onto%20pans.%20Bake,%20stirring%20occasionally,%20until%20golden%20brown%20(be%20careful,%20it%20browns%20quickly%20towards%20the%20end),%2020-30%20minutes.%20Rotate%20pans%20halfway%20through%20baking,%20if%20one%20is%20on%20the%20top,%20and%20the%20other%20is%20on%20the%20bottom.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ETransfer%20granola,%20in%20the%20pan,%20to%20a%20cooling%20rack,%20continuing%20to%20stir%20occasionally%20for%20about%2030%20minutes.%20When%20cool,%20stir%20in%20the%20dried%20fruit.%20Transfer%20to%20airtight%20containers%20and%20freeze,%20up%20to%20one%20month.%20%20If%20you%20leave%20it%20out,%20the%20fruit%20will%20soften%20it,%20but%20it%20will%20still%20taste%20delicious.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20have%20to%20share%20some%20pictures%20from%20Levi%E2%80%99s%20first%20Christmas!%20Here%20he%20is%20about%20to%20open%20his%20stocking%20on%20Christmas%20morning:%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%E2%80%99m%20pretty%20sure%20the%20best%20thing%20about%20Christmas%20was%20the%20wrapping%20paper%20and%20boxes!%20%20Yippee!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWe%20hope%20everyone%20has%20a%20safe,%20festive,%20and%20fun%20New%20Years!%3C/p%3E){kind=small}
