Barrens Blend Granola....Blueberry and Cranberry Granola

Since posting my recipe for homemade granola earlier last month I have made four or fives additional batches of the stuff, tweaking the recipe along the way. Since my earlier recipe was a first attempt, I didn't fully know what I was doing. The following recipe is a little different as I've added a few more oats and a lot more dried fruit. The cooking method is also a little different. Lastly, I've been experimenting with different combination of dried fruit and nuts. All have been really good. I've been using golden raisins, chopped apricots and dried blueberries in some of my recipes. My favorite granola of late features a combination of craisins (dried cranberries) and dried blueberries, paired with lots of chopped almonds, a little coconut,, oats, oil and maple syrup.

Barrens Bland Granola

Ingredients:

1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
4 cups rolled oats (old fashioned, not the quick cooking)
1/4 cup wheat germ (optional)
1 1/2 cups of almonds, rough chopped
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 cup dried cranberries (not the sweetened kind)
1 cup dried lueberries


Directions:
Preheat oven to 275  degrees.
In a small saucepan, heat the maple syrup, oil and honey over medium heat. Cook until warmed through and all the ingredients are well incorporated. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract.
In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, with the exception of the dried fruit, mix well and add the warm syrup mixture. Combine well and spread the mixture evenly over a cookie/baking sheet. Bake for approximately 1 hour until the granola is nicely brown. Stir the mixture every 20 minutes or so to ensure even browning. The browning using happens quickly near the end of the cooking.

Remove from the oven, pour in a large bowl and mix in the dried fruit. Pour the granola back onto the cookie sheet so it remains crisp as it cools (keeping it in the bowl while hot may cause it to lose some crispness). Store the granola in an airtight container.

I've been eating this stuff everyday, mostly with my Greek yogurt as my morning snack, but a few spoonfuls seem to make it on my cereal or with berries and yogurt for a post workout desert. I actually just ran out this morning and need to make some more. Go ahead and make your own concoction or follow my recipe and you won't be disappointed. Your taste buds, body and belly will thank you!