Bulking Up: Apple Maple Granola

(Just want the recipe?  Click here.)

I'm having some thoughts on changing eating habits, but they are still at the unformed, gelatinous stage.  Ergo, I am going to spare you the working out of them in a blog entry. This time.  Don't get used to it.

I'll just say they have to do with the healthy eating hazard that is a craving for quantity, as separate and distinct from the craving for a particular kind of foodstuff or eating experience, yet not quite at the obviously clinical level of an actual binge.

So more on that once it's a little less of a novella of disjointed thoughts, but in the meantime, I have some recipes that I've come up with around the idea of bulking up.

(Very apple-y Apple Maple Granola)

Serving sizes are too big in this country, of course, and many of us could and should learn to make do with less.  But sometimes you do just want more.  And so one eating trick is to bulk things up with high-fiber stuff like fruits and veggies, so that you still get the quantity craving satisfied while keeping the more calorie-dense food in moderation.

Granola is one such calorically-dense foodstuff that is crying out for moderation.  I do not understand how or where it got the health food label. It's sugary and often has butter.

But it's tasty.  And at least with homemade stuff, you can keep an eye on how much sweetener and/or fat you add.

I put together this recipe for Apple Maple Granola to use up some dried apple rings for my Cooking Resolution #2: Resourcefulness. 

I liked it so much, I gave it as an Xmas present to the Prez of the Debate Club's hubs, a granola fan (a fanola, if you will), and he liked it too.  He was an Apple Maple Fanola.

The recipe I started with was originally based on the proportion of quantities in this recipe for Chunky Date, Coconut and Almond Granola on Epicurious. 

But it occurred to me that if I really upped the amount of dried apples I was adding...well, it's not like it suddenly becomes totally virtuous, but I could eat the same size bowl I would normally have, but the quantity would have more apples than sugary oats or nuts.

So the below recipe gives a range for the quantity of apples.  If you use the lower range (1 cup), it will look more like your usual granola.  If you use the higher quantity, it will seem more fruit-based than grain-based than a storebought, but is still delicious.  But also, high in fiber.  Not quite, but high.  Keep that in mind per the final consideration listed below.

APPLE MAPLE GRANOLA

Yield: 4-6 Cups

Ingredients

• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup chopped almonds or cashews*
• 1/4 cup (packed) brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 2-3 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 3 Tbl maple syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla
  
• 1-3 cup(s) (packed) chopped dried apple rings*
  

Process

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
2. Combine oats, almonds, sugar, and spices in a large bowl.
3. Melt the butter and maple syrup over low heat. Remove from heat, add vanilla.  Pour over granola mixture and mix well.
4. Spread mixture on a rimmed baking sheet.
5. Bake 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up clumps.
6. Add apples and continue to bake, stirring often to break up clumps, for about 15 more minutes or until granola is golden brown.
7. Cool completely.

Advanced Prep Notes: Can be stored for two weeks at room temp.

*Special Considerations:

• Almonds seem slightly healthier, but can be more expensive.  Cashews are a delicious richness and are often a little cheaper.  Both are tasty.
• Recently, I've seen "Sweet Apple Rings" sold in addition to the usual "Granny Smith Rings."  This recipe is geared towards the tangy Granny Smith.  I wouldn't recommend using the Sweet ones, as it's too much sweetness with no contrast, but if you do, I recommend cutting back on the sugar.  (Don't cut back on the maple syrup as you need the liquid to coat.)
• Use the higher quantity of cinnamon if using the higher quantity of apples.
• More apples = more bulky, but also keep in mind they are very high in fiber.  If you haven't been eating a lot of fiber, just expect it might take your system a while to adjust and don't eat it on a day you have a job interview, for example.