In an effort to add some variety and new flavors to our daily breakfasts, the wife and I took inspiration from an episode of Good Eats that featured homemade interpretations of power bars and granola. I unfortunately can’t take any credit for this tasty granola recipe, it’s all Alton Brown’s handiwork: here’s a link to it. The only thing I do differently is halve the recipe…I find that a half recipe makes a perfect week’s supply for the wife and I.
Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp unsalted butter plus additional butter for pan-greasing purposes
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 oz chopped, dried fruit (I like to use apricots and cranberries)
Begin by mixing together the rolled oats, sliced almonds, sunflower seeds and wheat germ. Spread this mixture out evenly on a sheet pan, then place into a 350 oven and roast for 13-15 minutes or until the mixture is golden brown.
While this mixture is in the oven, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter and vanilla in a small sauce pan and set over medium heat until the brown sugar has dissolved. You’ll also want to chop up the dried fruit and place it in a mixing bowl.
Combine the roasted ingredients with the dried fruit.
Pour in the honey/sugar mixture and mix well.
Spread this mixture out evenly in a buttered 9″ x 9″ pan. You’ll want to make sure that the mixture is packed in pretty well.
Bake the mixture in a 300 degree oven for approximately 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the granola to cool. When cool, it can be sliced into squares or pulverized into smaller pieces.
The results are so tasty, you’ll never go back to store-bought granola after making this.
