Granola

My sister and I got an awesome deal on oatmeal about a month ago and I decided to use some of it to make some granola.  I didn't really want to buy a lot of extra ingredients, so I chose a recipe that I found in my Everyday Food Magazine. I just had to buy some honey, which I was out of, and some coconut. To all you haters, I realize that some people don't enjoy coconut. I have a theory that people either LOVE coconut or HATE it. I personally love it and I was excited to find this recipe.

Here is the cast of characters: Oatmeal, honey, brown sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla, salt (not pictured), pecans, coconut, chocolate chips, raisins (not used).

Look! I found a lost spoon buried in my brown sugar!

The wet ingredients

Chopped pecans

Mixed ingredients

Ready to go in the oven. (Yes I realize that I need to utilize one of those Pinterest tutorials on how to clean your pans!)

Right out of the oven.

Finished product. The article in the magazine had a picture of it spilling out of the jar like this. For your viewing pleasure I did the same.

Here is the recipe as written in the magazine:

 

Ingredients:

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

3 cups rolled oats

2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1 cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, etc.)

1 cup chocolate chips (if desired)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds.  Lightly coat two rimmed backing sheets with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl combine vegetable oil, brown sugar, honey, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Add oats and pecans; stir to combine.

Divide mixture between two pans. Bake 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 cup coconut to each pan; bake until mixture is golden brown, 15 minutes. Let cool completely on pans. Stir in 1 cup dried fruit and 1 cup chocolate chips. 

Store in airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

My Notes:

• I didn't want as many pecans, so I used 4 cups of oats and 1 cup of pecans.
• I have a convection oven. I don't know if this makes a difference in this recipe, but I did have to leave it in the oven much longer than 15 minutes after the coconut was added.
• I realized that I didn't have enough raisins (and the few I had weren't very fresh), so I left them out.
• When the granola was done it was about 3:30, I made the horrid mistake of adding the chocolate chips too early.  I was in a hurry to photograph the finished product and I wanted daylight, so I added the chips to the pan when the stone pan was still warm.  Many of the chips melted.  I haven't tasted that jar, it could be interesting! 
• In retrospect. I should have added the chocolate chips.  I usually love chocolate in everything, but it just doesn't seem to work here. Maybe I'm just not used to it because my mom never made it that way. I wish I would have had enough raisins to add to the recipe.

 

The finished granola that I have tried is delicious! Cora loves it too and I think the two of us will be able to finish it off shortly.