Grambola

Oh Pecan, you big nut, how I love you...

I'm not a "granola girl" as someone has asked me before. But I do like making granola!! Even my daughter loves it, asking for "more grambola please!" Someone had asked me for my granola recipe so the last time I made it, I actually paid attention to what I was putting in there instead of eyeballing it. I've tried a few experiments and I'm still working on the perfect recipe but here's what I have so far:

5 cups of rolled oats (not quick cook)
1/2 cups of raw pepitas*
1/2 cup of raw sliced almonds*
1/2 cup of pecans*
1/2 cup of wheat bran (or flour, if you don't have wheat bran)
1/3 cup of vegetable oil
1/2 cup of honey
1 tsp of vanilla
3/4 cup of dried cranberries*

* these can be substituted with your favorite nuts or dried fruits. Just cut any large pieces of dried fruit in to smaller pieces.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300°F

Mix rolled oats, nuts, wheat bran and wheat bran in a very large bowl. Whisk together honey, oil and vanilla until combined. Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients and mix until evenly coated.

Spray a baking sheet with oil and spread granola mixture on the sheet. Place in oven and stir every 15 minutes until golden brown (about 30-45 minutes). Allow to cool completely and mix in dried fruits. Granola can be kept in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks (but it never lasts that long in our house).

The wheat bran and honey helps the granola clump together. The oil helps to brown the granola. So if you'd like to alter the clumpiness, I would start here.