This was my best seller at the Farmer's Market this summer. And in all honestly, it's my favorite as well. I love the sweet vanilla crunchiness and the tart cherries. In fact, I have some in the oven right now making the whole house smell delicious!
Cherry Vanilla
9 c. rolled oats
2 c. sliced almonds
1 c. butter
1 c. honey
1/2 tsp. salt
2-3 Tablespoons vanilla
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1 c. dried tart cherries
Melt butter and honey together with salt, take off the heat to add vanilla. Pour into oats/nuts, bake at 250˚ for 2 hours, stirring once. The thinner it is spread out on sheets, the crispier it is. Also, if you turn off the oven and allow it to sit for a couple hours cooling off in the oven it crisps up nice- I do it at night, turn if off when going to bed and pull it out in the morning. I use parchment paper so it slides off easier and I bake mine in 2 9" x 13" baking pans.
Always add the nuts before baking granola and the dried fruit after it's out of the oven (fruit burns).
