Honey Raisin Granola

I started making this last Spring. We had quite a lot of oatmeal in the house and with the weather getting warmer, we were eating hot oatmeal less frequently. So, I decided to make it into a cold cereal that could be enjoyed in warmer weather. We really liked it, so I made another batch, bagged it up and gave it our friends, who also enjoyed it. I actually got a few requests for more. Packed in pretty jars, this granola makes a great homemade holiday gift.

The key is the coconut oil, which hardens at room temperature, so the granola keeps its clusters. Honey and brown sugar lend a comforting, familiar sweetness and the nuts add lovely satisfying protein. Almonds, pecans and walnuts work well. In this case I used a combo of walnuts and pecans.

Honey Raisin Granola – makes 12 cups

6 C rolled oats
2 C chopped walnuts, pecans or slivered almonds or a combination
1/2 C brown sugar
3/4 C honey
3/4 C coconut oil, melted
1 1/2 t sea salt
2 C raisins

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Combine oats, nuts and brown sugar in a large bowl. If your largest bowl isn’t quite large enough to get a good stir, try covering the bowl with plastic wrap or even a towel and hold it in place at the rim while you stir, to keep the granola from spilling.

In a separate bowl, combine honey, oil and salt (You may not need to melt the coconut oil if it’s warm in your kitchen. It turns to liquid at about 70 degrees)

Pour liquid over the oat mixture and mix thoroughly so that the oats are coated and begin to make clusters.

Pour the granola onto a large cookie sheet. Lining the cookie sheet with foil makes removing the granola easier after it has cooled. Cover with plastic wrap and press the granola so that it’s flat. Place in the freezer for about 15 minutes. This solidifies the oil and helps to keep the granola clustered as it cooks.

Bake for 1 hour, 15 minutes, checking occasionally to see that it’s not browning. Using a spatula flip the granola, breaking it into manageable but large pieces. Return to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes.

Remove from oven. Allow to cool at least 1 hour. In a large bowl break up the granola, leaving some large chunks. Combine with raisins.

Distribute the granola into mason jars and give to lucky friends and neighbors. Keep some for yourself and serve with milk or sprinkled over yogurt.

Ingredient origins: Rolled Oats – Unknown (the company, whose name rhymes with “shaker totes”, is based in Chicago. I’m going to take a stab that the actual oats were raised on multiple farms around the midwest, brought to the nearest grain elevator and added to the tributary and then the river of grain that runs to the factory.); Walnuts – California; Pecans – Arizona; Brown sugar – Florida; Honey – Massachusetts; Coconut oil – Colombia; Sea salt – Mediterranean; Raisins – California.