Road Trip Granola

This morning I had the most lovely breakfast. I was up early, watching the morning sunlight stream into the kitchen and thinking about the day ahead: breakfast, coffee, revisions, revisions; coffee, lunch, revisions, revisions; yoga, dinner, revisions, revisions. Yes, crunch time has begun.

The granola in my bowl this morning was another batch made from a recipe I first tried a couple of months ago. I christened it Road Trip Granola after packaging up a bag to send along with friends Ursula and Chris as they drove slowly but surely from San Francisco to New York.

I am pretty sure the granola kept them alive while they maneuvered snow and ice, RV villages, truck stops, and Wal-Marts all across America. Now it sustains me through sunny San Francisco days; maybe it will sustain you too?

P.S. This granola is so good (spicy, sweet, even a tad salty) that it is perfect not only for breakfast but as a mid-afternoon snack, or, even dessert while reading or movie viewing. Just watch out for little oaty crumbs; they will stick to your fingers and the front of your shirt.

Road Trip Granola aka Maple Granola from MS Living February 2010. Makes 7 cups. 
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup dried unsweetened coconut chips
1 cup pecans or walnuts, quartered
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (I used a scant 1/4 cup and it turned out fine)
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar (I used 1/4 cup because I didn't want it too sweet. It was perfect!)
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup golden raisins
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix together oats, coconut, nuts, syrup, oil, sugar, sesame seeds, salt, and nutmeg. Spread granola in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring every 10 minutes, for 40 minutes. Add raisins, and bake until granola is toasted, about 10 minutes more. Let cool completely.