The Final Granola Recipe

I've made granola for hubby enough now that I've got the recipe down so that I can throw it together with minimum effort and get great results.  This recipe makes a lightly sweet, toasty granola. 

42 oz rolled oats (standard large, round container that oatmeal comes in at the grocery store)
1 pound of coarsely chopped nuts (we usually use walnuts, but any nut will do)
2 cups whole flax seed
1 1/4 cup water
1 1/4 cup turbinado sugar (or 1/2 cup brown sugar and 3/4 cup white sugar)
1/2 cup butter (1 stick) cut in small chunks
12-16 ounces dried fruit

Combine oatmeal, nuts and flax in large roaster pan*.  Bring sugar and water to a boil, stir until sugar is melted.  Add butter to sugar mixture.  Stir until butter is melted.  Pour sugar/butter mixture over oatmeal mixture.  Stir until well blended.  Bake at 325 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes, until granola reaches desired toastiness.  Let granola cool for a half hour or so, then add dried fruit.  Stir until well mixed.  Store in airtight container.

If you like a more nuggety granola, increase the sugar to 1 cup brown sugar and 1 cup white sugar, and increase the butter to 3/4 cup.

*  You want the granola spread out, and you need to have room to stir it up, so you want a big, deep pan.  I use the inside pan from our 18 quart electric roaster.  That's about the perfect size.

FT