Fait Maison Granola

Organic and high-quality breakfast cereals and granola are pretty spendy here, so we've resorted to home-made.  A not-so secret...it's soooo tasty fresh!  

It's great any time of the day, and even better road-trip food.  This granola recipe is adapted from one we made in HUGE batches at the guest ranch I worked at summers when I was in high school and going to university.  That guest ranch kitchen was also instrumental to my personal development and interest in how to merge homemade with gourmet in a simple, accessible, and sustainable manner.  

INGREDIENTS

• 4 C. rolled oats
• 2 C. grated coconut 
• 2 C. raisins
• 1-2 C. chopped or sliced nuts (walnuts* or almonds)
• 1 C. sunflower seeds
• 1/2 C. sesame seeds
• 3/4 C. oil
• 1/2 C. honey (or maple syrup)
• 1/4 C. molasses
• Parchement paper (Do not skip this one!)

PREPARATION (~10 min. + 1hr. to bake)

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit
•  Heat oil, honey & molasses in thick pan on medium-low heat.  Stir occasionally, and heat until blended.
• Meanwhile, mix dry ingredients thoroughly - except raisins.  Don't add those until granola has been baked, or they'll be as hard as stones.
• Pour hot liquid over dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
• Cover a baking sheet or pizza pan with parchment paper -  - use something with a lip, to prevent granola from sliding off while in oven.
• Transfer granola mixture to parchment paper.
• Bake for 1 hr-1.25 hours, stirring every 15 minutes.
• Allow granola to cool, then transfer granola to storage container, and mix in raisins.   
• Discard/recycle parchment paper.

NOTES

• USE PARCHMENT PAPER - Don't cook directly on a baking dish unless you have no other alternative.  When it cools, the honey/molasses mix hardens and you'll have to pry and scrape the granola off the dish.  I've done it - trust me, it's miserable.
• USE WALNUTS - unless you're allergic to them, that is.  They become somewhat candied and toasted while baking.  I have to stop myself from selectively nibbling them while putting the granola away!  
• Use a mix of different kinds of nuts and seeds for increased flavor, texture, and nutritional diversity.
• Experiment with other fruits, but remember to add them after baking.
• Experiment with different ingredients, but maintain the same ratios (1-2 C. nuts, 4 C. oats, etc.) so your granola is well balanced, and the liquid ratio is correct.
• Granola keeps well for a couple of weeks (or more) in a cupboard.  Ours doesn't usually last long, so we haven't tested the upper limits of "shelf life" yet.
• The recipe from the ranch includes 1 C. of wheat germ, which would be great nutritionally.  But, I haven't found it here - or, I can't recognize it when I'm looking at the package in French! If anyone knows a good source for wheat germ, or what the name is in French, please let me know.