Cherry Pecan Granola

There's not much middle ground when it comes to breakfast. You're either a breakfast person, or you're not. And if you saw my post last week, you can pretty much guess which camp I belong to.

We breakfast people live for the morning meal. We swoon at the sight of bacon (bacon!), cinnamon-sprinkled French toast, and sweet, ricotta-filled crepes. We'd happily trade our T-bones for pancakes, our pork chops for waffles, our lobster tails for perfectly poached eggs. And we fundamentally distrust those who claim they're just not that into breakfast.

It's like saying, Oh, I think I'll just skip exhaling today. Or, I have no time for joy, love, or pug puppies... I'm just so busy.

Feh.

But if you're a breakfast person, and especially if you're a cereal person, and ESPECIALLY if you're the kind of person who always ate the nuts out of the Cracker Jack box first because, really, the popcorn was always kind of stale but the nuts were really sweet and crunchy, here's a low-labor, fully customizable granola recipe just for you.

I've got a second recipe -- one that uses agave nectar, unsweetened coconut, pistachios, and apricots -- today on my blog, 5 Second Rule.

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Recipe for Cherry Pecan Granola

There's really only one way to screw up granola: if you forget to stir it, you'll end up with scorched nuts, so set a timer and stir twice for even browning.

Makes 10 to 12 cups

4 cups rolled oats
3 cups sweetened, flaked coconut
1-1/2 cups chopped pecans
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1-1/2 cups dried cherries

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment.

In the largest bowl you own, mix together the oats, coconut, pecans, cinnamon, and cardamom.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, honey, and two extracts until very well combined.

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly, until all the oats and nuts are evenly moistened.

Divide the granola between the baking sheets and spread in an even layer. Bake for a total of 30 minutes, stirring at the 10 and the 20 minute marks, or until golden brown. (Granola will harden as it cools.) Stir in the cherries.

Once fully cooled, store in a large ziploc and, if you have one, an airtight tin as well.