Memorable Quotes:

"A Bearnaise sauce is simply an egg yolk, a shallot, a little tarragon vinegar and butter, but it takes years of practice for the result to be perfect." Fernand Point

Granola from Mirror Lake Inn

A rich, old-fashioned homemade granola from the Mirror Lake Inn in Lake Placid, New York. Oats, whole wheat flour, bran cereal, coconut and nuts are coated with a warm honey-butter mixture and baked until golden. You can make it either finely crumbled or leave it in larger crunchy clusters.


Yield: About 8 cups
Prep Time: About 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20–30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups oats
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup whole bran cereal, such as Bran Flakes or Special K
  • 1 cup coconut
  • ½ cup nuts, any variety
  • ½ cup chopped dried apricots, optional
  • 8 ounces (1 cup) butter
  • 1 cup honey
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, whole wheat flour, bran cereal, coconut, nuts and chopped apricots, if using.
  3. In a saucepan, melt the butter with the honey and heat until hot and bubbly.
  4. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
  5. Pour the hot butter-honey mixture over the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly until everything is evenly coated.
  6. Spread the granola evenly on a 9 x 13-inch baking sheet or rimmed pan.
  7. Bake at 350°F for 20–30 minutes, until golden.
  8. For fine granola, break the mixture apart while it is still warm.
  9. For coarse, clustered granola, allow it to cool before breaking it apart.
  10. Store the cooled granola in the refrigerator.

Denver High-Altitude Adjustments (5,280 feet):

This recipe needs little to no altitude adjustment because it isn't dependent on cake-like leavening or structure.

  • Keep the oven at 350°F.
  • Keep all ingredient quantities unchanged.
  • Start checking around 18–20 minutes, since the honey and coconut can brown quickly in Denver's drier environment.
  • If the edges are browning faster than the center, stir or rotate the pan during baking.
  • Let it cool completely before storing so it develops its crisp texture.

Tip: For larger clusters, resist stirring the granola as it cools. Once completely cool, break the sheet into whatever size clusters you prefer.

Source: Mirror Lake Inn, Lake Placid, New York