CRANBERRY ALMOND GRANOLA

CRANBERRY ALMOND GRANOLA image

Yield 5 cups

Number Of Ingredients 9

¼ cup brown sugar
2/3 cup boiling water
3 cups rolled oats
¼ cup wheat bran
1 cup dried cranberries, unsweetened
1 cup slivered or sliced unsalted blanched almonds
1 cup roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon, or to taste
¼ cup canola oil

Steps:

In a small heatproof bowl, place ¼ cup brown sugar. Add 2/3 cup boiling water and stir to dissolve sugar. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature. (This step is extremely important; if the syrup is added to the oat mixture while it is hot, your granola will be oatmeal!) In a large mixing bowl combine the oats, bran, dried fruit, seeds, nuts and cinnamon. Mix well with a fork until ingredients are evenly distributed. Preheat oven to 250 F. Add cooled syrup and canola oil to oat mixture and toss well to evenly coat, breaking up any large clumps. Spread the mixture out in a large shallow roasting pan. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, tossing with a fork every 15 minutes, until dry to the touch and lightly toasted. Allow to cool 30 minutes. Store for up to two weeks in an airtight container.