Famous Granola

I’ve been making this granola since I could first stir!

Famous Granola

I grew up making this granola with my mother and my grandmother. I believe their recipe was based on one from an old cookbook that I will dig up the next time I get home. But each one of us tweaked it to fit our tastes— I am sure I have tweaked it the most of all, and I now have a stable of riffs that I make. Here’s the basic recipe I use, and that our guests have enjoyed for years.

Some of our guests are lucky enough to buy bags to take home, but unfortunately it’s simply not economical for me to sell it— the ingredients cost too much to make it anything more than a delicious labor of love!

Spindle Hill Famous Granola (base)

8 cups rolled oats, old-fashioned (not quick-cooking)
1 cup large-flake coconut, sweetened
½ cup wheat germ

½ cup ground flax seed

½ cup sesame seeds
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts
1 cup sunflower seeds, raw or toasted

½ cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup hot water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey

½ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

dried fruit, to add after the granola is baked, which creates the riff:

for Daily Granola add

Diced candied ginger

golden raisins

chopped dried apricots

for Holiday Granola add

Diced candied ginger

currants

chopped dried figs

chopped dates

dried cherries or dried cranberries

and add cardamon with the other dried spices.

for Tropical Granola add

Diced candied ginger

crumbled banana chips

Golden raisins

Chopped candied pineapple

Chopped dried mango

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a very large bowl, combine the oats, coconut, wheat germ, nuts, and seeds. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, water, salt, honey, brown sugar, spices, and vanilla.

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry mixture in the bowl, stirring and tossing until everything is very well combined.

Spread the granola on parchment-lined baking sheets

Bake the granola for about 60 minutes, stirring the mixture with a heatproof spatula every 20 minutes or so. (You might reduce the heat as the hour goes on-- lower and slower is better!)

When the granola is a medium golden brown, remove it from the oven and cool completely on the pans. Add dried fruit and toss to mix.

Store in an airtight container. This stays fresh for at least 2 weeks, but it seldom lasts that long.

I hope you enjoy it as much as my family has!