A sweet & salty crunch connects us
Maria’s Salted, Nutty Granola
Who doesn’t love granola? It is sweet, salty, and has a crunch that makes it fun to eat. It is extremely versatile—breakfast is obvious, but try just adding it to a salad, sprinkle on a cheese plate, serve it as a bar snack, encrust fish or meat with it, or add it to your ice cream for dessert!
I began seriously baking granola for the shop several years ago, and I did a lot of experimenting to finally come up with a simple recipe that I make without changing anymore. As satisfying as it is to eat, it is especially satisfying to make for friends who return their empty jars, invoking Oliver Twist’s request, “Can I have some more…?” To which I joyfully say, Yes! On the chance that you prefer to make it yourself, here is all you need to do.
I must thank the New York Times & Eleven Madison Park for sharing their recipe, as it was the ratio of wet to dry in their mix that helped me finally achieve the texture I like. Evenly coated, small clusters, touch of salt and touch of sweet. Play around with it, you will find your crunch, then share it with me. I will bring my own jar!
Ingredients:
3 cups rolled oats
2 cups whole nuts (I use a 1/3 cup of each almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, pecans, almonds, & cashews, but the critical part is the total, so pick your favorites)
1/3 cup pepitos
1/3 cup sun flower seed
1/3 cup coconut chips (I also make it without for me—Can’t stand the stuff, but most people like it)
1/2 raw cane sugar
1/3 maple syrup
1/3 extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
1 teaspoon molasses
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Preheat oven to 300.
Place nuts on a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes & cool.
Toast the oats, sunflower seeds and pepitos on a separate sheet pan for 10 minutes.
Pulse nuts in food processor to your desired texture. I like a mix of ground and large pieces.
In a small sauce pan over low heat, combine sugar, syrup, olive oil, and whisk to combine until sugar is just dissolved, remove from heat, and then add vanilla, molasses, and honey. Stir to combine.
Combine Oats, Nuts, Seed & Coconut in a large bowl, and fold into the liquids. Make certain to coat all of the dry ingredients well.
Line your sheet pan with parchment and spread the mixture over the pan. Bake until dry and browned, about 30-35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to avoid burning the edges. I like mine dark, it adds a depth of savory flavor, but test it out and find your timing.
Allow to cook on the pan before storing in an airtight container. It will stay crunchy in a good container for longer than it will take you to eat it!
Enjoy…and share it!
Perfect Pair? Champagne! My version of granola does not have any fruit, so you need to add your own. I do that with a nice blanc de blanc;)