Fall reminds me of many things:  My Dutch oven, Roasted Veggies, Chili,  and all things Pumpkin…

But the cool weather also makes me think about granola.  Don’t ask me why I make the connection between a specific season and granola because I pretty much eat this yummy snack year round.  I heart granola, in a big way.  I’ve had my go-to granola recipe for awhile, but while David was away last week, I was itching to try out a new recipe.

I found a granola recipe in Sara Foster’s Fresh Every Day cookbook that implements a distinctly different cooking process than Mark Bittman’s, which I’ve followed in the past.  I was intrigued by the use of maple syrup, and cooking the ingredients on a baking sheet instead of the roasting pan.  (I didn’t feel like digging the roasting pan out of the back of the cabinet.)

This recipe might be my new favorite and I plan on making a big batch when David’s family comes to Atlanta for Thanksgiving.  Perfect for a simple breakfast on a day where there will be much eating in the later hours.

I made a few changes to the original recipe, but stuck to the basic methods.  It is delicious, crunchy, and the coating of oil, syrup and honey worked really well.  I’ve been putting my granola in my cereal, on my yogurt, and my new favorite: on Breyer’s Dulce de Leche ice cream.  Amazing!

Granola Version 2 (Inspired by Sara Foster’s Fresh Every Day Cookbook)

Makes about 7 cups

Ingredients:

• 3 cups gluten-free oats
• 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (sweetened is fine too)
• 1 cup chopped nuts (I used almonds, cashews, pecans and sunflower seeds)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ cup canola oil
• ¾ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup honey
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ½ cup dried raisins

Preaheat oven to 275.

Spread the oats, coconut, and almonds on a large baking sheet with sides.  Sprinkle with salt and bake for 12-15 minutes, until lightly toasted, but not darkened.  Stir occasionally while cooking.  Remove from oven and transfer ingredients to a large bowl.

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray pan with PAM.  Stir maple syrup, honey and oil together in a small bowl and pour over oat mixture and toss to coat evenly.

Spread granola greased baking sheet and bake for 22-27 minutes, until the granola is crispy and golden brown.  Stir several time throughout cooking process.

Let granola cool completely on the baking sheet, breaking up large clumps before it cools.  Once it has cooled completely, add raisins and cranberries and toss.  Store in an air tight container or freeze.  Enjoy!

One of the foods that I missed the most when I was first diagnosed with celiac was granola.  I love granola with ice cream, yogurt, cereal, in trail mix, or simply on its own.  It’s such a yummy snack and if you’re a texture person like me, the crunch of perfectly toasted oats and nuts is just wonderful.  Oats are controversial in the celiac world because even though they are technically gluten free, they are easily contaminated, making them most likely containing gluten, unless they are tested for gluten content.  There are some brands of gluten-free ‘granola’ out there but I hesitate to refer to them as granola because they don’t contain any oats.  Usually it’s a clump of corn flakes with some syrups and dried nuts.  While it has a nice crunch, these store-bought GF granolas just aren’t the same.  Yes, certified gluten-free oats are more expensive than Quaker, but I’m definitely willing to splurge on this grain and it’s so much more economical to make your own granola and it keeps well in the fridge for a long time.

Betsy’s Granola (Created with guidance from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian)

Ingredients:

• 6 cups certified GF oats
• 2 cups mixed nuts and seeds (I used chopped cashews, pecans, almonds, & sunflower seeds)
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Salt
• ½ cup honey
• ½ cup creamy peanut butter (I prefer to use natural PB that still has salt though)
• ½ cup raisins
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• Ground flaxseed (optional)

Preheat oven to 325.  Put a 9 x 13-inch roasting pan over medium-low heat.  (I put the pan over two burners.  Add the oats and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to change color and become fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the nuts and seeds and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.  Add the coconut and cook and stir for 2 more minutes.  Add the cinnamon, salt (to taste), flaxseed, honey and peanut butter.  Stir and place in the oven.

Bake for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking process.

Remove from oven, add raisins and cranberries, and cool on a rack.  Stir once in a while until the granola reaches room temperature.  Transfer to a sealed container and store in refrigerator.  I make it in large batches so I’ll even stick some in the freezer.

Granola continues to be one of my all-time favorite foods because it has a little bit of everything.  Sweet, salty, chewy, crunchy.  Don’t think of this recipe as a concrete set of rules.  Other things you can add to your granola are maple syrup or molasses as a sweetener or different seasonings such as nutmeg, vanilla beans or even ginger.  If you have a sweet tooth, try putting chocolate chips in your batch.  A great ice cream topping!