Spiced Granola

Makes about 6 cups

For me, granola is an ingredient, not a breakfast cereal. I serve sweet granola with fruit and ice cream and use it in the topping for a crisp, and I love using savory granola to finish a vegetable gratin. What makes this granola stand out and also makes it so comfortable switch-hitting are the three types of ginger in the mix: ground, fresh and crystallized. The sweet version is not really very sweet, but if you want to go more savory, see the variation that follows.

a word on the crystallized ginger

In order to get all the flavor of the ginger and have it be pleasant to chew, it must be very moist. If the ginger is hard, soak it for a few minutes in hot water, then drain, dry and cut it into very small pieces. Alternatively, you can steam it.

• ¼ cup (50 grams) packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup (60 ml) honey
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups (160 grams) rolled oats (not instant)
• 1 cup (120 grams) chopped mixed nuts, such as almonds, pecans, walnuts, pistachios and/or hazelnuts
• ½ cup (80 grams) pumpkin seeds
• ½ cup (62 grams) sunflower seeds
• 2 tablespoons wheat germ or additional oats
• 2 tablespoons millet (optional but nice for crunch)
• 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3 quarter-sized slices peeled fresh ginger, minced
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon or lime
• ½ cup (40 grams) unsweetened coconut flakes (such as Bob’s Red Mill) or shredded coconut
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped or diced crystallized ginger (see headnote)
• 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Working Ahead

You can pack the granola in tightly sealed containers — humidity is its foe — where it will keep for at least 1 month at room temperature.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 325 degrees F. Have two 9-by-13-inch Pyrex pans at hand, or use baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Put the brown sugar, honey and oil in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cook, stirring, just until the sugar dissolves.

In a large bowl, mix together all the remaining ingredients except the coconut, crystallized ginger and vanilla. Pour over the warm oil mixture, add the vanilla and stir, preferably with a silicone spatula, until everything is evenly moistened. Divide the mixture between the two pans and spread the granola out as evenly as you can without pressing down on it too much.

Bake for 20 minutes, then stir the granola, making sure to get any bits that have stuck to the pan. Rotate the pans and bake for 15 minutes more. Once again, stir the granola, then stir in the coconut. Bake for 5 minutes more, or until the coconut is very lightly toasted.

Remove the pans from the oven, scrape the granola into a big bowl and stir in the crystallized ginger. When the granola has come to room temperature, use your hands to break up any clumps.

 

Not-So-Sweet Granola

Reduce the brown sugar to 1 tablespoon and omit the cardamom, ground and fresh ginger and vanilla. Increase the salt to 1½ teaspoons and add ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper. Depending on how you’ll be using this version, you might want to add a little cumin, coriander or chile powder. You may or may not want to include the crystallized ginger. When I use this for the granola-topped vegetable gratin, I skip it.