Family Chefmate: Morning Granola With Raisons

I have been making this granola recipe since I was a young child. When I graduated from culinary school my mom gave me my original recipe I had written when I was 5 years old on a recipe card. I have not changed this recipe over the years except to lower the fat and increase the fiber content of the granola. Feel free to add additional items into the granola like: dried cherries or blueberries. My family likes to eat granola not only for breakfast with milk or yogurt but as a snack for after school or after school sports. You can make granola bars out of this recipe as well by adding melted chocolate. I will share this granola bar recipe at a different time. Caution, keep the granola in the refrigerator or freezer since it has several live foods in it until you are ready to use it. This recipe will fit into 3 freezer quart size bags. Divide the granola into the 3 bags and freeze two of them and keep one in the refrigerator ready to eat.

Morning Granola With Raisons:
Pre-Heat Oven: 325 degrees
Servings: 16

9 cups Quacker oats
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup ground flax seed
1 cup white sesame seeds
1 cup chopped almonds
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups raisons
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup water

Sugar Syrup: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the brown sugar, vanilla, salt and water together until all the sugar has dissolved about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

In a large bowl, mix the oats, whet germ, flax seed, sesame seeds, chopped almonds and chopped pecans. Pour half the sugar syrup over the granola and mix together. Then add the other half of the syrup to the granola and mix. Divide the granola in half and place on two cookie sheets. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour turning the granola every 15 minutes so it does not burn. The granola is ready when the oats have turned a golden brown. Cool the granola on the cookie sheets and then mix in the raisons. Caution: Keep the granola in the refrigerator or the freezer in an air tight container until you are ready to use it.

Sugar Syrup