Homemade Granola

If you have an appreciation for top notch granola, like I do, you are going to love this recipe!  It is my favourite all time morning snack or breakfast (aside from baked goods, of course!) - a bowl of strawberry or raspberry yogurt, topped with homemade granola and berries.  I have given batches of this granola for Christmas gifts in the past and everyone raves about it.  It is a versatile recipe.  You can add your favourite nuts or dried fruit, or adjust the sweetness.  I LOVE maple syrup, so I always go a little heavy on it.  I grew up on a true Canadian farm with a maple sugar bush where we produced our own maple syrup every winter/spring.  It was truly heaven!  My family put maple syrup on everything. Think of the movie ELF (an all-time favourite), with Will Ferrell - I'm not too far off.

Ok, so here it is...

It's super easy to make, you just have to be available to give it a stir every 15 minutes or so while it cooks.

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Granola

Ingredients

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup slivered or whole almonds
• 1 cup cashews
• 1 cup macadamia nuts
• 3/4 cup shredded sweet coconut
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

In large bowl, combine oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar.

In separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even colour.

Remove from oven and transfer to a large bowl.  Add dried fruit if you desire.

Enjoy! 

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