Tuesday, April 13, 2021
Maple syrup making season has come and gone for another year. We love making maple syrup because it is a great transition from skiing season to cycling season. It gets us outside in the early spring all day. Jim and his buddy combine their love of birding as they hang buckets, collect sap and boil it off. I have a friend who I helped and we combine our love of being with our dogs as we go about all of the tasks. The best part of course is that at the end of the process we each have some litres of sap that we get to enjoy in all of our favourite ways. I like to make the world’s best homemade granola with maple syrup. This recipe was given to me many years ago from a friend we camp with. We have taken it on all of our camping trips because it is so delicious and filling. There is nothing like sitting on a rock on Georgian Bay with a good cup of coffee and a bowl of this granola. It starts the day off perfectly. I also make this recipe at home and now send it to Madeline for her and her roomies in Kingston. The recipe is below and it can be gluten free by taking out the wheat bran and wheat germ, and using gluten free oats!
Homemade Granola
Dry Mix:
(I usually cut the recipe in half)
6 cups rolled oats
1 cup sunflower seeds, raw, unsalted
1 cup wheat germ
.5 cup unsweetened large coconut
.5 cup white untoasted sesame seeds
.5 cup wheat bran
.5 cup pumpkin seeds
.5 raw almond slices
Wet Mix:
1 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tblsp vanilla
Garnish (I put these in once it has cooled)
2 cups raisons
2 cups currents (I don’t use these)
2 cups chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts etc.)
Hemp Hearts
Chia Seeds
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Make the dry mix by combining the oats, sunflower seeds, coconut, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds (just use whatever you have in the house, it takes great if you don’t use all the ingredients. I don’t use the wheat germ or bran because I make mine gluten free), Set aside the dry ingredients. In another bowl mix maple syrup, veg oil, salt and vanilla. Stir well. Pour the wet mixture over the dry and mix well. If making the whole recipe, I cook half of it at a time on a cookie sheet with parchment paper on it it. I put in in the oven and check it every 7 or 8 minutes to stir it and monitor it’s progress. I cook till it looks a golden colour so depending on how hot your oven is 20 minutes or so. You will know when it looks and feels done. Enjoy everyone!