Granola Batch # 1

This first batch of house blend granola falls somewhere between the Lawson and Bittman camps.
I left out the oil altogether, used only what we had in the house and forgot to add ground flaxseed, which I will definitely add to the next batch, along with some ground ginger. The pepitas/pignolis were an off flavor in the mix, and I wouldn't use them again. Slivered almonds instead of any and all other kinds of whole nuts and seeds, next time. I'll toss in some cereal flakes when its all cooled off.

Dry ingredients:
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup Trader Joe's pignolia, pepita and almond mix
1/2 cup roasted salted cashews
1 tsp. ground cinnamon


Wet ingredients:
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/4 cup honey

Add Ins:
1 cup dried, sweetened cranberries
1/4 cup dried golden raisins

Set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Stir to mix well. In a small bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients. Stir to mix well. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ones, and stir well.

Spread the mixture evenly on two rimmed baking sheets. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until evenly golden brown. Set a timer to go off every ten minutes while the granola bakes, so you can rotate the pans and give the granola a good stir; this helps it to cook evenly. When it’s ready, remove the pans from the oven, stir well – this will keep it from cooling into a hard, solid sheet – and set aside to cool. The finished granola may still feel slightly soft when it comes out of the oven, but it will crisp as it cools.

Mix in dried fruit and scoop cooled granola into to a large zipper-lock plastic bag or other airtight container. Store in the refrigerator indefinitely.

Yield: about 7 cups