Homemade Granola

Here is a recipe (like most of my recipes) for you cooks that "feel" your way through instead of "measure" your way through a recipe.  As you can see, most of the ingredients you will have on hand, and more than half are optional to your liking.

Homemade Granola



Ingredients:

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter (optional)
1 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup oil
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 Tbsp cinnamon (optional)
1/4 cup cocoa (optional)

1 cup wheat germ (optional)
8 cups oatmeal

1. Preheat oven to 325*
2. Spray 2 cookie sheets or jelly-roll pans with cooking spray.
3. Mix first 8 ingredients (water through cocoa) in a large dutch oven or large pot.
4. Place over low-medium heat on stovetop, stir constantly.
5. Bring to slow boil. Boil for one minute.  Remove from heat.
6. Stir in wheat germ until mixed thoroughly.
7. Stir in oatmeal until all oatmeal is sticky and coated with sugar mixture.
8. Crumble oatmeal mixture in an even layer on cookie sheets.
9. Cook at 325* for 20-30 minutes or until toasty brown, stirring every 10 minutes. 
10. Cool. (Mixture will harden and crip while cooling.)
11. Stir in any extras at this time (1 cup of chocolate chips, berries,  nuts, or raisins).
12. Enjoy as snack or for breakfast over milk or yogurt.