Maple-Almond Granola

This recipes comes from the January/February 2005 edition of Cooking Light magazine. I had ripped it out way back then, and only got around to making it for the first time this week. The only thing is that I think I'll have to half the recipe next time, because there's no way that the two of us will get through all of this in a week... I'll also probably cook it a little less than the recommended 35 minutes, as I found it a bit overcooked and too crunchy. We've been enjoying it with either milk or yogurt mornings or for a snack.

4 C regular oats
1/4 C slivered almonds
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 C water
1/3 C honey
1/3 C maple syrup
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. canola oil
1 C minced dried apricots (I used dried cherries, as I had no apricots)
1 C raisins



1. Preheat over to 325 degrees Farenheit.

2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Combine water, honey, syrup, sugar and oil in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Pour over oat mixture; toss to coat. Spread oat mixture on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray (or parchment paper). Bake at 325 degrees Farenheit for 35 minutes or until golden, stirring ever 10 minutes. Place in a large bowl; stir in apricots and raisins. Cool completely.

Yield: 6 cups (serving size: 1/4 cup).

Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Note: for a nut-free version, omit the almonds and substitute more dried fruit.