A few months ago, I visited the Catskills in upstate New York and purchased a locally made healthy bag of granola at one of the shops in the small town where John’s family has a home. Upon reviewing the list of ingredients on the back of the bag, I felt I could make my own for a lot cheaper, although I was impressed with what was offered. To that end, the following is my own special version of the Catskills granola. I usually keep it in an airtight container in my fridge for up to a month and snack on it midday with a handful of blueberries. My son Ryan loves it and I’m planning to make a batch when I see him at school later this month. A visit to Trader Joe’s should yield most of the ingredients!
Ingredients
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup raw pepitas
1 cup raw almonds roughly chopped
1 large egg white, beaten
½ cup organic maple syrup
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. sea salt
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cardamom
¼ cup dried currants
¼ cup golden raisins
½ cup large flake coconut
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl, except for the coconut.
3. Transfer everything to the pan and pat down the granola in a single layer and spread it over the entire pan to ensure it crisps while baking.
4. Bake for 20 minutes and stir and add in the coconut. Bake for another 15 minutes until browned.
5. Cool completely and break it up into clusters. Store in the refrigerator for up to a month.
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