Granola is Good

  

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   When we go paddling we consider granola and gorp to be a staple.  I can’t imagine a canoe trip without our Voyageur Gorp.  Everyone is always saying how delicious our Gorp is and guests who have tasted it before sometimes ask to buy a bag for their trip.  I think our recipe is simple and it doesn’t take long to make a batch.  Unfortunately I can’t share the recipe with you but I will share some other granola recipes I found on Paddling.net.  These recipes aren’t like our granola but Anne Desjardins shares a few variations you can try.

Recipes My Classic Maple-Almond Granola

  • 4 cups rolled oats (do not use the instant version but the 10 minutes cooking)
  • 2 cups rolled buckwheat
  • 1 cup toasted wheat germ
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • Large pinch of salt
  • 2 cup almonds, with skin, chopped
  • 1 cup maple syrup
  • 3/4 cup of organic canola oil
  • 3 cups dried cranberries

Heat the oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, mix rolled oats, rolled buckwheat, toasted wheat germ, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. In a large measuring cup, using a whisk, pour maple syrup, then the oil in a thin, steady stream. Whisk together until well emulsified. Mix with the cereals. Using your hands, mix until all ingredients are blended.

On two large cookie sheets covered with parchment paper, sprinkle cereals evenly and cook for 20 minutes, mixing once with a spatula. Remove from oven, add almonds and cook for 20 more minutes, mixing once with a spatula. Remove from oven and add cranberries. Let cool and place in airtight glass jars.   To add a bit of oumph to this classic recipe, try these suggestions:

Burst of fruit granola: replace cranberries with 1 cup dried cherries, 1 cup dried blueberries, 1 cup dried mangoes thinly diced, 1 cup dried cranberries, 1 cup currants. Add one cup raw pumpkin seeds. Remove cinnamon from the original recipe.

Exotic granola: replace almonds with chopped macademia nuts. Replace dried cranberries with the followings: 1 / 2 cup dried papaya, 1 / 2 cup banana chips, 1 / 2 cup dried kiwis, 1 / 2 cup dried pineapple, 1 / 2 cup grated unsweetened chunks of dry coco. Replace maple syrup with brown sugar. Replace cinnamon with 5-star powder. Add 1 / 2 cup sesame seeds.

Honey-apricot granola: replace maple syrup with liquid honey. Replace almonds with the same quantity of chopped hazelnuts. Add 2 tsp of pure vanilla extract; replace cranberries with 2 cups chopped dry apricots.

Dessert-like granola: add 1 / 2 cup brown sugar and 2 more tbsp of canola oil to the maple syrup mixture. Replace almonds with chopped pecans. Add 1 cup chocolate chips, 1 cup smarties, 1 cup mini marshmallows once granola is at room temperature.

Protein-packed granola: add 1 cup sunflower seeds, 1 cup unsalted soy nuts, 2 tsp packed brown sugar to the maple syrup mixture. When granola is at room temperature add 1 cup chopped dates and 4 tbsp dry orange and lemon rinds to the cranberries.