Golden Raisin Granola

Are there already too many granola recipes on the internet? Yes. Am I going to become part of the problem? You betcha.

Right off the bat, I must confess that this recipe isn't even mine. I've made it my own with some minor tweaks, but I ruthlessly stole it from a friend of mine in culinary school.

While working in one of the student-run run restaurants (American Bounty IYKYK), a certain A.S. made this granola for family meal. I wrote it down in my little notebook and the rest is history. And by that I mean I make this granola every few weeks, and think it's very good.

It's not fancy, it only requires a handful of ingredients, and there's no coconut in it (you're welcome). Plus, it's easily adaptable to whatever dried fruit or nuts you like, or have on hand.

Use this granola for any and all of your granola needs. While I do enjoy eating this over yogurt or ice cream, 90% of it gets eaten straight from the jar as an in-between-snacks-snack.

Recipe Notes:
* When it comes to bake time, anywhere from 25-30 minutes is where I've had the best results. Recently 28 minutes has been my golden cook time. But judging the doneness can be tricky, since you won't really know how crunchy you're granola will be until it cools. So, keep a close eye on the subtle change in darkness once you get passed the 20-minute mark.

* I much prefer golden raisins to regular ones in almost any application, so if you don't have any don't even bother making this, regular raisins will work great. Dried blueberries or craisins can be a nice addition too. The nuts can also be easily substituted. I almost always use almonds, but I tend to switch between cashews and pecans for the second nut.

Golden Raisin Granola

• 215g (2.5c)  Rolled Oats
• 35g (1/3c)   Brown Sugar, light or dark is fine
• 1/2t        Cinnamon, ground
•  1t        Kosher Salt, divided in half
• 60g (1/2c)   Sliced Almonds
• 60g (1/2c)      Pecan Pieces
• 75g (1/4c)   Maple Syrup
• 84g (3oz)    Butter, melted
• 100g (1c)     Golden Raisins

1. Preheat your oven to 325F
2. Combine oats, sugar, cinnamon, 1/2t salt, and nuts and mix to combine.
3. Add maple syrup and butter and mix well.
4. Pour the mixture onto a lined half-sheet tray and spread it into an evenly thin layer.
5. Bake in your 325F oven for 15 minutes, then remove and give a gentle stir to ensure even cooking.
6. Return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes. The granola should be light golden.
7. As soon as you remove the tray from the oven, sprinkle the golden raisins and remaining 1/2t of salt. Gently press the raisins into the granola.
8. Allow the granola to cool completely on the sheet tray before breaking it up and storing it in an airtight container.