When it's time for a taste of home I just have to head to the organic store and pick up some whole grains - it's granola time. This also makes great gifts for French and Americans alike - for the French it's a wholesome novelty. For Americans we know what a luxury it is to buy, so getting it homemade is still a special treat. And cooking it is easy, I had to make many adjustments and substitutions and it still just always works. I barely follow the recipe, but as a starting point here it is:
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| First things first, make sure the baby is sound asleep! |
Granola:
- 1/2 cup canola oil (I used olive oil yesterday)
- 1/3 cup honey (or molasses, or maple syrup, or ...)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (or more, but yesterday I only had nutmeg)
- 1/3 cup skim milk
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (or cassonade, if that's all you have)
- ~5 cups of dry ingredients (I use more) which can include: oats, wheat, walnuts, almonds, coconut, raisins, cashews, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, currants, flax seed....
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| If you don't have a measuring cup you can use a wine glass |
Mix first six ingredients in saucepan over medium heat until sugar melts and everything is blended. I usually wait until it bubbles up, which is probably some kind of candy-making procedure. Remove from heat and mix with dry ingredients. Spread on baking pan and bake in 375 degree oven. Mix when well toasted and bake a little more until well browned. Store in a covered container.
Always delicious!
I should be making this more- My brother who has two little kids at home manages to find time to make it, so there's no reason I shouldn't be able to.
ReplyDeleteGranola was such a part of our household growing up that it was one of the things I would regularly make in my college dorm when I first left home.