Home-made Gran'ole: To Warm Your House & Heart

One of the things i love most about having this blog is that it's my own little recipe index.  When i want to make something or have an idea for a recipe, i can often scroll back to another one i made similar, find the basic outline for it, and build from there.  Last night was no different.  Another mellow friday night with the house to myself, which often means you'll find me in my kitchen.  It was a chillier night than most, and i wanted the house to smell and feel warm and cozy.  I decided to make a batch of granola.  After fishing back for my muesli recipe from last year, i got the basics down, set the oven for 300, and started to melt the honey and coconut oil.  Into my cabinets i go to see what treasures i can add.  Here's what i found:  dried persimmon, dried blueberries, dried mulberries, cacao nibs, pumpkin seeds, and of course gluten free oats.  Just what the doc ordered to make a great comforting gran'ole.  Here's your easy steps.

*set oven for 300 degrees
*lightly mist a shallow baking dish with oil
*into a saucepan, melt 1 Tbsp of coconut oil and 1/3 cup of honey
*spread any oats/nuts/seeds you plan to use into the baking dish ( i used 2 1/2 c. oats, and 3/4 c. pumpkin seeds), optionally sprinkle with a little cinnamon
*Pour melted honey and coconut oil from saucepan over the nuts/oats/seeds and stir very well to coat
*Put this mixture into the oven for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the oats are lightly toasted.  Taste.  You might want to leave in for a few more minutes to toast up longer, or if your oven runs hotter than mine, you may not need as long (?)
*remove from oven/shut oven off
*Mix in any dried fruits/extra tidbits you'd like to add (i used 1/2 c dried bluberries, 3/4 c dried mulberries, 1/4 c cacao nibs, and 3/4 c. chopped dried persimmon)

That's all there is to it.  Allow it to cool and store in an air tight glass jar.  This should hold for a few weeks time.

Enjoy sprinkled over a bowl of seasonal produce such as persimmon and pear, over yogurt to make a parfait, or in a bowl with your choice of milk/milk alternative.