During sugaring season, working out in the woods stirs up hearty appetites.  It’s important to begin the day with a breakfast that will last until lunch.  Many sugarmakers like their oats in the form of hot oatmeal laced with maple syrup – their favorite grade.  In our family we prefer maple granola, chock full of all sorts of extra goodies, and readily available in a giant glass jar.  Add milk, cream, yogurt, fresh fruit as you like.  A little math with the maple – subtract the ingredients you don’t have or don’t like – add others to suit your diet or taste.  And a hint:  I sometimes prepare this in disposable roasting pans, saved specifically for making granola.  They can be reused, and the high sides help when it comes to stirring the batch.  When it’s all mixed, the cereal can be baked right in the pan where it was prepared.  But first spray the pan with cooking spray to avoid stickage.

GRANNY’S GREAT MAPLE GRANOLA

1 large container of rolled oats (2 pounds,10 ounces)

2 cups of toasted wheat germ

1 cup shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened

1 cup chopped almonds 

1 cup chopped pecans 

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup chopped cashews (salted are OK)

1 cup raw sunflower seed

1 cup pumpkin seeds

½ cup sesame seeds

½ teaspoon sea salt (if salted cashews are used, reduce to ¼ teaspoon)

2 cups of wheat, oat or bran flakes (optional – can use more, in amounts desired)

1 cup canola, sunflower or vegetable oil

2 cups pure maple syrup, darker grade if available, otherwise a lighter grade will do

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract  

1 cup dried sweetened cranberries

1 cup golden raisins (dark raisins, dried apples, or chopped dates may be substituted)

Cooking spray

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl or stock pot, or in a roasting pan.  Whisk the oil, maple syrup and vanilla in a separate bowl.  Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients, and mix together.  

Line baking sheets with aluminum foil or parchment paper, and lightly grease. (2 or 3 baking sheets should suffice) or lightly grease roasting pans.  Scoop the granola onto baking sheets and spread around, or, if you have prepared the mix in roasting pans, spread evenly.  Preheat the oven to 250˚.  Bake the granola for 1 ½ to 2 hours, watching and stirring every 15 to 30 minutes, until it’s light golden brown. Remove the pans, and cool.  Then, and only then, add the raisins and cranberries or other dried fruit, (baked together with the cereal, the dried fruit hardens into stonelike lumps) and store in a large covered container. The essentials are the oats, the maple syrup, and the oil - the other ingredients are the goodies that are optional, but you need to incorporate some to have a true granola!      

VERMONT MAPLE GRANOLA

2 cups Pure Vermont Maple Syrup

2 pounds 10 ounces of rolled oats (large container)

2 cups wheat germ

1 cup sesame seeds

2/3 cup of vegetable or canola oil

1 cup chopped almonds

1 cup chopped salted cashews 

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup coconut 

1 teaspoon vanilla

Wheat, oat or bran flakes (optional – in amounts desired

1 cup raisins, cranberry raisins or other dried fruit (optional)

This is a flexible recipe – modify it depending upon your own taste and ingredient availability

Preheat the oven to 350˚   Combine the dry ingredients except for raisins or dried fruit.  In a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients; pour over dry ingredients and mix well.  Spread on well-greased baking sheets or parchment paper and bake for 30 minutes or more, checking occasionally.  Turn mixture from time to time.  Remove from the oven when lightly browned.  Add raisins or dried fruit.  Cool; store in airtight containers.  Serve with milk or yogurt – sometimes it’s nice to top with fresh fruit like bananas, blueberries, strawberries or raspberries. 

March 2014