Last Minute Homemade Christmas Granol

Need some last-minute Christmas gifts and just can’t bear to give a box of Christmas Lifesavers? (Hey, I loved those Christmas Lifesavers! But I digress)

Here is a no measure, no fuss recipe that is easy and will be a big hit. I know because I gave several bags of this Christmas granola and people loved it.

The only thing you need to measure is about a 1 cup of olive oil. You need oat, the kind you have to cook for at least 5 minutes – no instant oatmeal. I make a lot of red velvet cakes so I often have those four packs of food coloring – all missing the red, but still containing the green. I dye the coconut, but that is optional. I had some rather large chunks of candied ginger. I decided to “chop” them into small pieces in the food processor. It doesn’t work. Trust me. If you find you have chunky ginger, resolve to chop it into small pieces by hand. If you have a container of nice, soft ginger, you are in luck!

Christmas Granola

1 large 42-ounce container rolled oats
1 package unsweetened coconut
1 5- 7 ounces package walnuts, broken into small pieces
1 package dried cranberries
1 package red raisins or red mixed berries
1 container candied ginger, about 5 ounces, chopped small
1 8-ounce jar honey
1 cup olive oil
1 ounce green food coloring (optional but nice)

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Put the coconut in a glass bowl and mix in the green food coloring. Place the dyed coconut on a sheet pan and dry in the oven about 5 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, walnuts, coconut, honey, olive oil and combine.
4. Spread on baking sheets and bake about 10 minutes. It will probably take about 4 or 5 baking sheets. Don’t over cook.
5. Cool oats mixture. When cool, mix in the cranberries, raisins and ginger.
Pack it in jars, bags, and tins, whatever you have. It makes a festive and homemade gift.

NOTE: I eat granola as a snack. It came to my attention, after watching Harry Lowe eat a lovely bowl with milk, that the green coconut will turn the milk a bit green. Not the worst thing in the world, but thought you should know.

Happy Christmas Eve.