tom’s fab granola

My trainer’s boyfriend Tom whipped up a batch of granola for me at Christmas and when I munched through that, he made me more. I asked him to share the recipe because it is absolutely addictive. I can’t get enough of it layered with Greek yogurt and served as a parfait, for breakfast, lunch or dessert. If you are not nuts for all the nuts in this recipe, try one with just almonds. Homemade granola makes a great holiday gift, too, poured into a great-looking glass jar and tied with a ribbon. Plus it’s cheaper ounce for ounce than most boxed stuff and it’s better for the environment because of less packaging.

ingredients

6 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup raw cashew pieces
1 cup raw pecan pieces
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup raw pine nuts
2/3 cup canola, grapeseed or vegetable oil
2/3 cup clover honey or agave
2/3 cup hot water
1 tablespoon almond extract
olive oil cooking spray, optional
1 cup sunflower seeds

directions

Preheat oven to 300°F. In a large bowl or pot, combine the oats, cashews, pecans, almonds, and pine nuts and mix thoroughly.  In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, honey, hot water, and almond extract until blended. Pour honey mixture over the dry ingredients, adding about a third at a time and mixing  well after each addition so everything is completely coated (the mixture will get a little gloppy).

Spread the mixture evenly on two greased baking sheets with sides (use cooking spray or a light coating of canola oil). Place pans on the middle and lower racks of the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring the contents of each after 20 minutes and swapping pan positions in the oven. You’ll know it’s done when you can smell those nuts toasting.

When the granola is golden brown and smells toasty, remove it from the oven and sprinkle half the sunflower seeds over each batch; stir thoroughly one more time so that the seeds are evenly distributed and they cook ever so slightly. Let cool, then store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.