Sundays




Sometimes, all you need is something simple, wholesome and flavorful to round out a frenzied weekend of cupcake baking and event execution. My mother and I whipped up a batch of this granola in under 10 minutes, and the finished product, baking and cooling included, was ready to consume in under 2 hours. It goes to show you that a few simple products – oats, unsweetened dried fruit, toasted wheat germ – can go a long way with just a touch of maple syrup and a sprinkling of cinnamon and nutmeg. The end result was crunchy and nutty, slightly sweet and surprisingly delicate with the addition of coconut. Perfect with tea in the afternoon, or yogurt and coffee in the morning.

Sunday granola

Ingredients*
-       3 ½ cups of rolled oats
-       1/3 cup toasted wheat germ
-       1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
-       1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
-       ¾ cup hulled unsalted pumpkin seeds
-       2 cups assorted dried fruit (we used chopped apricots, apple and cherry raisins; if using larger fruit, coarsely chop into smaller pieces)
-       1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
-       1 cup maple syrup (or less if you prefer your granola less sweet)
-       3 tbsp butter, melted
-       ½ tsp salt
-       ½ tsp nutmeg
-       ½ st cinnamon
-       1 egg white

1.      Preheat oven to 300F and line two large baking trays with parchment paper. Set aside.

2.     In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except for maple syrup, butter and egg white. Mix well with a wooden spoon or wide spatula.

3.      In a small bowl, beat egg white until frothy; add egg white and butter to the oat mixture and mix well.

4.     Add maple syrup and mix well, making sure that all ingredients are evenly coated.

5.   Spread onto two large pans into as thin a layer as possible without flattening. Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven and mix the granola. Return to oven for an additional 15-20 minutes, keeping an eye on the granola to ensure that the fruits and nuts don’t burn.

6.      Remove from oven and let cool at room temperature. Store in an airtight container.

* ingredients are totally flexible and interchangeable with other nuts and fruits; feel free to omit or add components as you wish! Just adjust the wet ingredients to ensure that the granola doesn't fall apart.

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