Homemade Granola

I am a creature of habit when it comes to weekday breakfast foods. Every morning when I am going to work I eat nearly the same thing in order to save time and money. A typical breakfast for me consists of a granola bar, a piece of fruit, and a yogurt.

When I was looking through recipe's for Nazo's brunch party yesterday, I can across a recipe for homemade granola in my new Smitten Kitchen cookbook, and thought about how this granola recipe could be a healthy and simple replacement for my regular granola bar. I made the recipe without coconut flakes (I forgot to buy them at the store) and without dried fruit (Shea doesn't like dried fruit), and it turned out delicious; it really is better than store bought (even the fancy expensive brands)!

Big Cluster Maple Granola

Courtesy of Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman

Ingredients

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut

1 cup chopped walnuts, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup toasted wheat germ

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 large egg white

1 1/2 cups dried cherries or another dried fruit

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Combine all ingredients but the egg white and dried fruit in a large mixing bowl, tossing to coat evenly. Whisk the egg white in a small bowl until frothy. Stir into the granola mixture, distributing it throughout. Spread it in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 45-55 minutes. About halfway through the baking time, use a large spatula to turn over sections of the granola carefully, breaking them up as little as possible. When the granola is evenly browned and feels dry to the touch, cool completely. When it is cool, break the granola into pieces and add the dried fruit. Enjoy!