maple pecan granola

when i'm not having a smoothie for breakfast, i love me some granola. i have posted another granola recipe previously, but this one is quite different. it's very simple, but crazily tasty. with a hint of mapley sweetness, and the burst of flavour of roasted pecans. 

i love to eat a breakfast that's a huge bowl of fruit with 1/2 c or so of granola sprinkled on top. it's enough to give my breakfast a hearty feel without making me feel stuffed. this granola is perfect for that. 

heck, it's perfect for everything. 

i made big jars of this for people for christmas presents. it can be made gluten free, as long as you use gluten free oats and rice crisp cereal, both of which are readily available around these parts. 

this recipe makes about 6 c of tasty, tasty granola.

ingredients: 

3 c quick cook rolled oats
1 c rice krispies
3/4 c pecan pieces
3/4 c pecan halves
1/4 c water
1 t vanilla
1/4 c brown sugar
3/8 c maple syrup
1/2 t salt
1/8 c flour (i used rice flour, but you can use wheat flour if you're not doing them gluten free)

to make:

throw oats, rice krispies and pecans in a large bowl. mix everything up.

in a small bowl, combine water, vanilla, brown sugar, maple syrup, salt and flour. whisk to mix well. 

pour the wet mixture over the dry, and stir until evenly coated. 

pour the mixture onto a baking sheet, and spread evenly, pressing down gently. 

bake at 375 for 20 minutes. 

pull out the baking sheet, and toss the granola gently. the sides will probably be a bit brown already. re-spread without pressing down. 

bake for another 5-15 minutes, checking on it frequently to prevent burning. it is done when the granola is dry and crispy and lightly browned. 

allow to cool completely, and store in an airtight jar.