Disappearingly tasty granola

There are many food items I could live on, if I had to. Greek or natural yogurt with granola is one of them. Before losing a fair amount of weight, granola was my standard breakfast. When trying some after my diet, I found it far too sweet and stopped buying it. For some reason I fancied trying a recipe for homemade granola a couple of weeks ago. The first bite tasted rather sweet, but with yogurt it was perfect. Mind you, I made the first batch with syrup. Since then I have used honey instead and it isn't half as sweet.

Yes, there is a fair amount of honey in a batch, 1/2 cup for 4 cups of oats. I tried reducing it to 1/3 cup, but it didn't work. Halfway through baking, the mixture was bone dry and I decided to scoop it all back into the bowl and add what I had left out. Some recipes are not to be messed with. Instead of reducing the honey, I decided to reduce the amount of times I enjoyed this treat. So far I have reduced it from twice a day to once... It isn't going too well, because it is far too nice.

Disappearingly tasty granola, yes, that's exactly what it is. I make a batch, store it in a large glass jar and before I know it, it has disappeared. Magic! Or perhaps it is due to my other half loving it as much as I do. Two batches a week have become the norm and I must never run out of oats. The other day did, but luckily my neighbour was going shopping and she kindly brought a bag back for me.

For once the recipe wasn't found in Pinterest, but in the general internet jungle. It was written by someone called Cookie + Kate (her being Kate and Cookie being her dog). She claimed that this granola was the very best and once you had tried homemade stuff, you'd never return to the shop bought version. She was right, oh so right. This granola is the very best. Thank you, Cookie + Kate. Yes, I have left a glowing review on her page.

Oats, oil, honey and salt are the main ingredients and there was a suggestion to add cinnamon, which I do. To that base you can add what you please. If you want nuts and seeds, make sure they are raw and not toasted, or they will burn in the oven. Don't use salted additions either, as it will make it too salty. Nuts and seeds are added prior to baking, dried fruit is added after. 

So far I have only used red skinned peanuts and mixed seeds and that makes a beautiful granola. I'm scared to add tastier nuts and dried fruit, as I may never eat anything else every again. Surely it isn't healthy to live on granola alone. My choice of fat is olive oil, but you can use whatever you fancy. One suggestion is coconut oil. I may try that one day, perhaps half and half to reduce the coconutty flavour while getting it used to it.

Due to this being our new craze, I'm sure I'll try plenty of versions in the months to come. At the moment I'm sticking to the basics, at least until I get out of the 'must have' addiction.

To successfully make this basic granola, stick to the measurements below. You also need to find the correct temperature for your oven and the ultimate timing. I have a fan assisted oven and 170 degrees seems ideal for 2x10 minutes, no more, no less. I have over baked a couple of batches and learned the hard way that a couple of extra minutes make a big difference.

This is what you need:

4 cups oats

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup honey

1/2 tsp salt (3/4 tsp if you use fling salt)

1-2 tsp cinnamon

Optional:

nuts, raw and unsalted

seeds, raw and unsalted

dried fruit & berries

coconut shavings

whatever you fancy

Remember to add nuts and seeds prior to baking and everything else after baking.

1. Get the ingredients out.

2. Roughly chop the nuts, if you want to. 

3. Add oats, nuts, cinnamon and salt to a large bowl. Mix well.

4. Add oil and honey.

5. Mix well and make sure every single oat flake is coated in oil and honey.

6. Spread the mixture evenly onto a large oven tray with greaseproof paper.

If my greaseproof paper looks well used, it's because it is. I make two batches a week and reuse the paper. This particular sheet has served four or five bakes so far and apart from one small tear, 

it is still going strong. Waste not, want not.

7. Warm the oven to the right temperature. My oven cooks the granola perfectly at 170 degrees.

8. Shove the tray into the lower part of the oven and set the timer for 10 minutes. Don't think you can do without a timer. It is enough to over bake a few minutes to ruin the batch. Don't do it. 

9. Shuffle, shuffle after 10 minutes.

10. Spread it again and this time, press it down hard with a large spoon or a spatula. 

This will help it stick and turn clumpy at the end. Trust me, you want that.

11. Bake the granola for another 10 minutes. No more, no less.

12. Take it out and leave it to cool down until completely cool.

13. This is as brown as you want the edges, no browner or it will taste burnt. The granola at the edges will be crunchy, while the section in the middle of the tray will be softer. If you take the tray out too early, the middle may not be fully baked.

14. Once the granola is completely cool, break it up in as small pieces as you want it. 

I like some big, some small and the rest tiny.

15. Jar or box it up and watch it disappear as if by magic.