Granola scares me. Those little brown nubs seem to suggest that the long trudge, macrame session or drum circle is imminent.
Indeed, those clumps and wisps huddled in their twist-tie baggie share the same worldview as the trudge, knot or drum-induced headache: “Good for you.” Though not good.
There was a time when adults were constantly heaping granola into bowls and smiling: “Try some!” A time best summarized as the 1970s. In those days granola was heavy with safflower oil and soy nuts. Chewing through a handful was a strenuous job, one best summarized by, “Don’t we have any M&Ms?”
By the 1980s granola went glam, cozying up with the marshmallow, the chocolate chip and the airy unidentifiable nugget. Granola squared off into the bar, striking a Rice Krispies-treat pose. Somehow it maintained its reputation as wholesome, if wholly unappealing.
After that I lost track. Granola still cluttered the cereal aisle, the PowerBar wall, the cookie bin. When my youngest called it “gorilla,” I gave the snack an amused smirk. Otherwise, I stuck with the cold shoulder.
So recently, when my friend Vanina served a beautiful bowl of fruit and ice cream graced with homemade granola, I thought, “OK, a speck.”
Vanina’s granola wasn’t oily or heavy or chewy, it wasn’t pocked with soy nuts, or gummed up with marshmallow. It was golden, crunchy and absolutely delicious. I pleaded for the recipe and toasted up a batch of the sweet, buttery oat-and-nut mix. I started carrying it around, pressing it on children, smiling: “Try some!”
I think there’s a saying about this sort of behavior. Something like “What goes around comes around.” Only better.
Good granola
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 30 minutes
Makes: About 7 cups
Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups quick-cook rolled oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons water
Mix:
Stir together oats, almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center.
Boil:
Measure butter, brown sugar, maple syrup and water into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil (watch closely; syrup will bubble up). Pour hot syrup into the well. Stir gently with a wooden spoon until the dry ingredients are thoroughly coated.
Bake:
Divide the mixture evenly between 2 rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Slide into a 300-degree oven. Bake, rotating trays and stirring the granola every 15 minutes, until golden brown and dry (but not brittle) to the touch, about 35 minutes. Let cool.
Store:
Tumble into an airtight container; seal. Keeps at room temperature for 2-3 weeks.
Provenance:
Adapted from a recipe shared by my friend Vanina Wolf, who adapted her recipe from the Hotel Fauchere in Milford, Pa.
Leah Eskin is a Tribune special contributor e-mail her at leahreskin@aol.com
