Favorite Granola

I absolutely love granola. I would eat it every morning if it weren't so expensive and fattening! Well, a good friend of mine, who has a large family, makes her own granola and shared the recipe with me. After making it only once, our family was hooked! In fact, I will be gone this weekend and I am making a batch that Dan can enjoy while I am gone. I thought you might like the recipe, too:

Debbie’s Best Granola

Dry Ingredients:
6 cups oatmeal (quick cooking or old fashioned)
½ c. slivered almonds
½ c. coconut
½ c. chopped walnuts or pecans (pecans taste better)
½ c. whole wheat or all purpose white flour
¾ c. brown sugar
¾ t. salt

Wet Ingredients:
½ c. honey
½ c. oil or ¼ c. oil and ¼ c. applesauce
¼ c. water
½ t. vanilla extract
½ t. almond extract

In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl combine all the wet ingredients. Mix the wet ingredients thoroughly with a wire wisk until the oil, water and honey have combined. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and mix by hand. Place in a 9x13 pan or a large jelly-roll pan. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Granola is done when it is starting to brown at edges and starting to get dry. Take out and stir. Let cool and then store in an airtight container.

*I have found that the granola will still look a bit damp after an hour, but will continue to bake out of the oven. This is a great starter recipe. Customize it however you like! You can add any dried fruit to it and use it as cereal or a topping to ice cream.