FRESH BAKED CHUNKY GRANOLA

This is delicious to enjoy in the mornings, over a bowl of organic vanilla ice cream or jar it up with a recipe card as a great home-made gift.

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups whole oats (use old fashioned, not instant)

2 cups puffed or cluster-type cereal

¼ cup flax seeds

½ cup toasted almond slivers

Handful of sweetened coconut flakes  (add ¼ cup brown sugar if using unsweetened)

½ cup organic pineapple juice

½ cup organic apple juice

½ cup organic prune juice

Juice from ½ orange

1 T ground cinnamon

Pinch of nutmeg, ginger, cloves, allspice and cardamom

Zest from one lemon or orange

2 teaspoons coconut oil

¼ cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mister w/ olive oil

Handful each; dried blueberries, cranberries, currants, green raisins

OPTIONAL: add salted peanuts for a salty mix

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325°.

Combine the juices, spices and coconut oil in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer until reduced by half.  This should take about 20 minutes.

While this simmers, combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl.

Remove juice mixture from heat and allow to cook for 3-5 minutes.

Add honey and vanilla.

Toss sweetened warm juice mixture with the oats mixture.

Mist 2 cookie sheets with olive oil.

Spread mixture onto cookie sheets in a thin, even layer. 

For variety, try adding salted peanuts to one pan.

Bake at 325° for 20-30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until golden and crunchy.

Cool slightly, then stir in dried fruit.