Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Big Cluster Maple Granola

recipe from Deb Perelman's The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
 
This crunchy snack was gifted to me on Valentine's Day by my dear sis-in-law in the most adorable glass container.  The cherries add a big burst of tart flavor to the mildly sweet granola. We enjoyed heaping spoonfuls over vanilla yogurt all week long.
 
 
yield: about 7 cups granola
 
Ingredients:
 
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup (or increase to 2/3 cup if a sweeter granola is preferred) maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large egg white
1 1/2 cups dried cherries or another dried fruit, diced
 
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Combine all ingredients but the egg white and dried fruit in a large bowl, tossing to coat evenly.  Whisk the egg white in a small bowl until frothy (a solid tricep workout).  Stir into granola mixture, distributing it throughout.  Spread granola in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  (I used two.)  Bake for 45-50 minutes.  About half way through the baking time, use a large spatula to turn over sections of the granola.  Rotate the pan if granola is baking unevenly.  When it is evenly browned and feels dry to the touch, transfer the pan from the oven to the cooling rack.  Cool completely.  Once cooled, sprinkle in dried fruit.
 
The granola keeps at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 weeks or longer in the freezer.
 
* I omitted the cherries this time around, as we also enjoy granola with milk, and didn't like the idea of cherry chunks coated in milk.  The great thing about this recipe is you can alter the flavor profile based on personal preferences. 



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