Book Fifty-Three: The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

by Ina Garten


                Homemade Granola

Granola is so easy to make at home and tastes so much better then store bought; not to mention it is so versatile. You can add it to yogurt with fresh fruit as shown in the picture above, in a bowl with milk for a quick breakfast, or as we did - thrown into a Ziploc bag for a great snack while out hiking.

This is different from another granola recipe I have made in the past. I like that Ina adds several types of dried fruit, whereas the other recipe uses only dried cranberries. I may combine the two next time for I really like and missed the orange zest the other recipe calls for and I would also change out the sweetened coconut for brown sugar.

Success meter (1-3): 3

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Makes a whole lotta granola!

Homemade Granola
Makes 12 cups


4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut
2 cups sliced almonds
¾ cup vegetable oil
½ cup good honey
1 ½ cups small-diced dried apricots
1 cup small-diced dried figs
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup roasted, unsalted cashews

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Toss the oats, coconut, and almonds together in a large bowl.

Whisk together the oil and honey in a small bowl. Pour the liquids over the oat mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until all the oats and nuts are coated. Pour onto a 13 x 18-inch baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until the mixture turns a nice, even golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool, stirring occasionally. Add the apricots, figs, cherries, cranberries, and cashews. Store the cooled granola in an airtight container.



The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook/Ina Garten