Granola

All week we've been having toast for breakfast from the two loaves I made last weekend, rosemary no-knead and a simple sandwich loaf. I love bread and I love toast equally, however I've never been one who can eat the same thing day in and day out. So after a week of toast with butter, toast with jam, scrambled eggs on toast, I couldn't stand to think of another toast variation this week.

So I got thinking, what else is quick in the morning? And I realized I hadn't made granola in ages. When E and I first got to konw each other, I used to send him packages of goodies and granola was usually included. I've tested out variations with many different fruit and nut combinations as well as the amounts of honey and/or maple syrup, so the recipe below is just a starting point. Or it could be the end point as well, since I really like apricots and pecans.

Pecan and Apricot Granola

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats or thick cut oats

1 cup sweetened, dried coconut

1 cup pecans, chopped roughly

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons of vegetable oil

2 tablespoons honey (I prefer a single flower type)

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup dried apricots, chopped roughly

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Cover a quarter sheet pan with aluminum foil (you can also use a 9" x 13")

Mix the oats, coconut, pecans, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl

Add oil, honey, and maple syrup to a measuring cup or small bowl and stir to combine

Pour over oat mixture and stir until oat mixutre is evenly coated

Spread the oats evenly on the prepared sheet pan

Place in the oven and back for about 35 minutes, stiring about every 10 minutes

In the last 10 minutes, watch closely as the oats will brown quickly

Let cool in pan and add to a bowl with the apricots (you may need to break the granola into pieces)

Store in an airtight container and serve with milk or yogurt

Sometimes I omit the apricots fruit and use as a topping for ice cream