In my battered yet beloved recipe notebook, where I’ve been keeping track of borrowed and invented recipes for over twenty years, there are several entries for granola. Clearly it’s “a thing” for me, but I had never found the one. After years of experimenting with granolas that were too sticky, too oily, too dry and just not good enough, I finally hit on this one. It’s so easy and turns out crisp and sweet but not gooey (just right!). It’s wonderful with plain yogurt, milk or almond milk, but I also pack it as is for an on-the-go snack. This is my go-to hostess gift, packed into a mason jar and tied with a little ribbon.

Holiday Granola

Makes 12 cups

INGREDIENTS

• 6 cups large-flake oats

• 2 cups raw pecan halves or slivered almonds

• 1 cup raw pepitas

• 1 cup raw sunflower seeds

• ½ cup whole flax seeds

• 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

• ¾ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon cardamom or ginger

• 1 cup canola oil

• ¾ cup maple syrup or honey

• 1 ½ cups dried fruit like cranberries or chopped apricots

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 rimmed baking pans with parchment paper.

2. Stir the oats with the nuts, seeds, cinnamon, salt and cardamom or ginger in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the canola oil with the maple syrup or honey, then pour it over the oat mixture. Stir until all the oat flakes are coated.

3. Pour the mixture onto the prepared pans and spread it into a thin, even layer. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, giving it a really good stir every 10 or 15 minutes, and switching and rotating the pans on the racks at least once. The granola should be golden and toasty, but not too dark brown. Keep a close eye on it during the last 10 minutes, as it can over-toast quickly!

4. Let it cool completely on the baking sheets, then stir in the dried fruit. Store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days or freeze for up to 4 months.