I’ve always been a bit of a do-it-myself-er, sewing drapes when it was probably less expensive and certainly easier to buy readymade; hand making birth announcements for all three children when most were using Hallmark to announce their new arrivals; passing the days in Tacoma, circa 1968, picking berries for jam and making bread to spread it on.
So it shouldn’t be much of a surprise to find that I like to make my gifts for Christmas. Especially for Christmas because the commercialism has gotten so carried away, and the craziness of it all makes me want to experience a Little Women holiday- cozy fires, mulled wine (ok, a nice Cabernet Franc, maybe) and home made gifts for those I love the most.
This year I’m making an assortment of things- chocolate covered walnuts like the ones I discovered in Perigueux in September; salted butter caramels using the Salies-de-Bearn from my tour of the Pays Basque on that same trip; Limoncello from lemons plucked from the lemon tree at my friends’, Luke and Darin, place, The Clinic @ Palm Desert; and the Panforte that my niece, Vicki, and I fell in love with in Sienna last year, also using more lemon peels from The Clinic, but this time candied to sugary perfection and tossed in with candied orange and hazelnuts. And, finally, Luke’s Granola, which was originally Alton Brown’s granola recipe, but became Luke’s and then mine after a few tweaks and turns.
This granola starts my day at least 4 days of the week, sprinkled on plain yogurt with a scattering of blueberries on top, or some sliced bananas, or peaches… it all depends on the season. As with all things you make yourself instead of buying already prepared, it’s so perfect to know exactly what is in there, and in what proportions, especially since there are so many ways this could go way wrong: too much oil, or too much sugar, or too much salt. While making it myself I am able to use organic oats, local honey, organic maple syrup, unsweetened coconut, and any combination of nuts that strike my mood at the time.
I made a double batch today, and the maple syrup, honey and oil may look like a lot, but it was just 3 cups total for a yield of 48 cups of granola, or almost two hundred 1/4 cup servings. I used sunflower oil, by the way- another nod to my travels to Southwestern France and the sunflower fields at Petit Clos, Hank, Cindy & Caleigh Petterson’s seductive home and Bed & Breakfast. It was there, on a lovely fall evening, that I was so hypnotized by the beauty of their life, that I decided, temporarily insane as I was, to pack and move without thought for anything practical like income or shelter, but rather an urgent need to permanently sit at their table and enjoy the magical light before sunset (while snacking on saucisson from Sunday’s market and sipping a wonderful, chilled rose’, of course).
Back to reality! This can easily become your own granola, depending on what you want to add to it. For my gift version this year I threw in some ground flax meal (about a cup and a half), and substituted dried cranberries in place of about 1/3 of the raisins. While I used sliced almonds and pecans this time, you could also use pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, or cashews. Let your imagination be your inspiration!
Luke’s Granola
• Ingredients
• 9 cups rolled oats
• 3 cup slivered almonds
• 3 cup pecans
• 2 ¼ cup shredded coconut
• ½ c honey
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups raisins
Directions:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line two sheet pans with silpat mats or aluminum foil.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, and coconut. In a separate bowl combine maple syrup, honey, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto the 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the pans of granola remain in the oven for about 1/2 and hour to further dry. The end result should be moderately toasted and slightly caramelized, however, watch it carefully while the heat is on so that it doesn’t burn and become bitter.
Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add raisins and mix until evenly distributed. Store in an airtight container.