Fruit and Nut Granola – Old’s Cool Nutrition

We don’t often think of making our own breakfast cereal from scratch. But here’s a homemade fruit and nut granola recipe that makes old-school cool again by turning the tables on traditional morning roughage. As summer cools down and back-to-school heats up, parents want their children to head out of the house boosted by a nutritious breakfast that will carry them through the day. Like that Cream of Wheat bowl that hovered over children’s heads in the iconic 1970s TV ad, their breakfast should follow them through the mud puddles on their walk to school and keep them steaming ahead to lunch. But does it have to taste as boring as Cream of Wheat once was or today’s mostly bland store-bought granola? No.

Enter this amazingly delicious recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi’s The Cookbook, published in 2013, simply called “Granola.” As usual Ottolenghi shows his virtuosity in transforming a ho-hum, old-school cereal, first popularized in the back-to-nature hippie movement of the 1960s, by creating a delectable syrup and adding dried fruits and nuts. Add baked and toasted oats for a delicious, nutritious, high-calorie result that will stay with you for hours, if not all day! We’ve tried every granola available out on the commercial shelves and came closest with 365 Brand’s Raisin Granola. But even this Whole Foods favorite pales in comparison to this homemade recipe. Even finicky kids love this granola treat and it’s made wonderful served with hot or cold milk or almond milk, if you prefer.

If you’re running late to work and feeling guilty about grabbing that stale box of Fruit Loops for a quick but fleeting fill-up for your kids, take a little extra time to “make your own” with this ultra-hearty and nutritious recipe. You *are* a Super Parent when you feed the future leaders of our country a Super Food breakfast that will follow them through all their morning activities… and then some!

Granola

Makes about 7 cups

You can used any of your favorite nuts, fruits or seeds.

6 1/2 tablespoons whole almonds

5 tablespoons Brazil nuts

5 tablespoons cashew nuts

3 cups rolled oats (I used Bob’s Red Mill Rolled Oats.)

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup dried blueberries

Syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons sunflower oil

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup honey

1. Preheat the oven to 275◦F. Coarsely chop all the nuts and put them in a large mixing bowl. Add the oats and seeds and set aside.
2. To make the syrup, mix together all the syrup ingredients in a small saucepan. Place over low heat and stir while you warm the syrup gently. Once it is warm, pour it over the seeds, nuts and oats and stir well with a wooden spoon.
3. Line a large baking sheet with sides with parchment paper and spread the granola over it evenly. It should form a layer no more than 3/8 inch thick. If it is too thick, consider using  2 pans. Bake for 40 minutes, turning and mixing the granola two or three times. When ready, it will have taken on a dark, honeylike color. Don’t worry if it is soft; once it is cool it will turn crunchy. Remove from the oven. While the granola is still warm, but not hot, stir in the fruit. Leave to cool in the pan and then transfer to a sealed container. It will keep for up to 2 weeks.