Cherry Almond Granola

There are tons of good granola recipes out there on the internet, including this one I'm anxious to try from 3191 and something like 4 different ones on Orangette.  However, for a long time I still was quite intimidated by the idea of making my own.  My sister has shown me the error of my ways though.  She regularly makes granola to keep us stocked up, and insists that buying it pre-made is outrageously more expensive than making it yourself.  (In the interest of full disclosure, I still don't make my own granola, I just eat the granola my sister makes.  But in case you can't convince your roommate to keep you stocked in homemade granola, now you can make your own.)



The latest batch she made was particularly delicious, with almonds and dried cherries, because as Jamie Oliver would say, almonds and cherries are best mates.

As I understand it, the basic granola recipe is highly adaptable, generally being oats, nuts, flavorings, sweetener & oil, and then dried fruit at the end after baking if you desire.  So to steal a line from the 3191 recipe, "You’re making granola, people, so embrace your inner hippy and just go with the flow."

Cherry Almond Granola

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup almonds, chopped slivered or sliced
1/2 cup shredded coconut or coconut chips
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 Tbsp. agave or honey
3 Tbsp. canola oil (or another neutral oil)
1/4 cup flax seed
1 cup dried cherries

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

On a large baking sheet, combine oats, nuts, coconut, salt, and cinnamon smooshing around until generally mixed.  Pour over sweetener and oil, and mix about again until incorporated.  Bake for about 45 minutes, or until golden brown and toasted, stirring every 15 minutes or so to help cook evenly.  Add the flax seeds halfway through baking to allow them to toast, but not burn.  Once you pull from the oven, let cool completely before adding the cherries and storing in an airtight container.