Homemade Granola with Almonds and Hazelnut Oil

For several years Lew and I have had the same person cut our hair, Heidi. Well, she cut mine when I had hair. The chemotherapy for the last 7 months did away with my hair but a recent change in my medication has caused my hair to start growing back. Kind of an interesting experience to have your hair come and go. Now it is fuzzy, wirery, and a color that is not gray nor red but “clear.” I digress...

Heidi gave us a taste of her homemade granola last year. We went wild for it and now every few months Lew makes a batch. The neighbors line up for some of it because the aroma of the Hazelnut oil fills the air all around the house. It is like a smoke signal going up that the granola is in the oven.

Lew never makes the granola the same way twice. He is a "pinch of this and a pinch of that" type of cook. Some versions have enough oil so that the oatmeal mixture sticks together so you can cut it into bars. Below is the version he made today.

Honey and Hazelnut Oil Granola

Put major dry ingredients in a large glass or metal mixing bowl:
4 cups oats
¾ cups shredded coconut
¾ c ups slivered almonds

In a small bowl put in other dry and wet ingredients:
2/3 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup Hazelnut oil (this is the secrete ingredient!)
¼ cup honey



Directions:
Toss the oats, coconut, and almonds in a large bowl. Mix the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle these wet ingredients over the oat mixture.

Spray a large jellyroll pan with Pam or grease with oil. Spread the oat mixture out in the large pan with sides. Bake at 325 degrees for 3 minutes. If you cook slower in a lower degree oven it will get cruncher and a warmer color.