Name: Spiced Walnut Granola with Dried Apple
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Ingredients: 1/3 cup maple syrup; 1/3 cup packed (2 1/3 ounces) light brown sugar; 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger; 3/4 teaspoon ground allspice; 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 4 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup vegetable oil; 5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats; 2 cups (10 ounces) walnuts , chopped coarse; 2 cups dried apples

Why This Recipe Works

Store-bought granola suffers from many shortcomings. It’s often loose and gravelly and/or infuriatingly expensive. We wanted to make our own granola at home, with big, satisfying clusters and crisp texture. The secret was to firmly pack the granola mixture into a rimmed baking sheet before baking. Once it was baked, we had a granola “bark” that we could break into crunchy clumps of any size.

Before You Begin

Chopping the almonds by hand is the first choice for superior texture and crunch. If you prefer not to hand chop, substitute an equal quantity of slivered or sliced almonds. (A food processor does a lousy job of chopping whole nuts evenly.) Use a single type of your favorite dried fruit or a combination. Do not use quick oats.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, nutmeg, black pepper, vanilla, and salt in large bowl. Whisk in oil. Fold in oats and walnuts until thoroughly coated.

Transfer oat mixture to prepared baking sheet and spread across sheet into thin, even layer (about 3/8 inch thick). Using stiff metal spatula, compress oat mixture until very compact. Bake until lightly browned, 40 to 45 minutes, rotating pan once halfway through baking. Remove granola from oven and cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 1 hour. Break cooled granola into pieces of desired size. Stir in dried apples. (Granola can be stored in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.)