Granola Trials

I love granola!  I eat it almost every day in my yogurt as breakfast, or as a snack in the afternoon.  I've been meaning to experiment with making my own.  I chose 4 recipes that I found on www.marthastewart.com.  I made a sample of each, and did a taste test and nutritional comparison.

Here is my test kitchen:

From White Girl Gone Green

Here are my recipes:

1. Low Fat Granola

Ingredients

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup toasted wheat germ

1/2 cup flax seed

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 cup unsalted sunflower seeds

1 cup chopped walnuts

5 tablespoons blackstrap molasses

1/3 cup canola oil

Directions

1. Heat oven to 300 degrees with rack in center. In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, wheat germ, flax seed, cinnamon, ginger, sunflower seeds, and walnuts. In a small bowl, combine molasses, oil, and 1/3 cup water, and pour over the oat mixture; stir until well coated. Spread evenly in two baking pans.
2. Bake, stirring every 20 minutes or so for even cooking, until dry and lightly browned, about 45 minutes. Let granola cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

2. Lighter Granola

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray

3 cups rolled oats

3/4 cup toasted wheat germ

3/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed

1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar

2 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 cup dried cherries, raisins, or other dried fruit, halved or chopped if large (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lightly coat a 9-by- 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Add oats, wheat germ, and walnuts, stirring to combine. Bake until oats are lightly toasted, about 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Raise oven temperature to 350 degrees.
2. In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, stir together apple juice, sugar, and oil. Pour over oat mixture; stir to combine. Return to oven, and bake until oats are crisp, about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.
3. Cool in pan, about 25 minutes (toss with cherries, if desired). Transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid.

3. Maple Nut Granola

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup chopped almonds

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

5 teaspoons vegetable oil

5 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together oats, pecans, almonds, salt, vegetable oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
2. Spread oat mixture on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. Let cool completely.

4. Six-Mile Granola

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup light-brown sugar

1/2 cup brown-rice syrup or honey

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup water

4 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup bran

1 cup raw cashews

1 cup raw almonds

1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

2/3 cup dried cherries

2/3 cup golden raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add sugar, and cook until melted. Stir in brown-rice syrup or honey, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and water. Add remaining ingredients, except dried fruits, and toss. Arrange in a single layer on two rimmed baking sheets. Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and dry, about 1 1/2 hours. Let cool on sheets. Transfer to a bowl, and add dried fruits. Granola can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Stay tuned for the results!

From White Girl Gone Green