Toasted Wheat Berry and Oat Granola
3 cups rolled oats
1/2 - 1 cup uncooked wheat berries (the amount is really up to you)
3 tablespoons canola or other vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup maple syrup or equivalent sweetener (I highly recommend Grade B syrup if you have access to the real stuff)
some dried fruit (Optional--candied ginger makes a good addition)
1/4 cup flour, wheat germ, or flaxseed meal
chopped nuts (optional)
This recipe is really just a traditional granola recipe, but with a different texture and taste that comes from the popped wheat kernels.
1. Mix together all ingredients in a large bowl with the exception of the wheat.
2. Put an ungreased frying pan (preferably with a lid) on medium-high heat and wait for it to get quite hot. This usually takes about eight minutes for my electric stove.
3. When the pan is hot, sprinkle the wheat berries into the pan two or three tablespoonfuls at a time. Shake the pan to spread them thin and put the lid on.
4. Continue to shake the pan every five seconds or so, and you will begin to see the wheat berries pop and jump around the pan. Once all the berries finish jumping and popping, pour them quickly into the bowl with the other ingredients before they burn. Repeat until you have popped all the wheat. You will notice that the wheat is still crunchy, yet it is now soft enough to eat some right out of the pan.
5. Spread the mixture of all ingredients onto a cookie sheet in a thin layer. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, removing cookie sheet from the over and stirring the mixture every ten minutes. When it seems crunchy enough to you, it's done.
I liked this recipe over others mostly because the wheat imparts a light, pleasant flavor and a crunchy texture that really adds a lot to a cereal. It also adds a good deal of fiber and a bit of extra protein, too.
SO HOW'D IT GO?
This is great granola! I made it as Christmas presents for people and they couldn't stop raving about it. Really easy to make, too. And the whole house smells wonderful as it bakes.
I burned this but I tasted it before doing so and it was delicious! I used a mix of agave and maple syrup, no vanilla, hemp oil, walnuts, flax meal, and raisins - super omega granola mix:) Do not mix in the dried fruit until AFTER the granola is done baking though, maybe even wait on the nuts too. What I really liked about this recipe was the toasted wheat berries! They give it some crunch and it was a good way to use up some of my wheat berries I have for sprouting. Good recipe!