Pumpkin Spice Granola

We've had so many weddings this month, that I am confident that I could become a wedding coordinator extraordinaire. I will forgo that career path, though, so as to avoid the countless crazy brides I would surely encounter in the industry. Now, to clarify, I must say that none of the weddings I have attended contained one of the hereinbefore mentioned crazies and I have absolutely adored each of the brides, as well as their grooms, wedding parties, mothers, fathers, grandparents, pets, etc.

And while I loved having so many regal weekends, I was at a loss for ideas as to what to bake from scratch this month that wouldn't consume an entire day, or portions of multiple days for that matter (see Key Lime Meringue Tart). Sidebar: a man in a cape just walked into the coffee shop. Have I mentioned how much I love Halloween? It really lets the loons shine. Anyway, I had already decided that I would toast the pumpkin seeds from this year's jack-o-lanterns knowing full well that I could not count this as my baking experiment for the month. Not wanting those seeds to go to waste, I scoured the intergalaticwebs for a recipe that could include them, and found a number of recipes for various granolas (granola? granoli?).

Now, I love granola. Jake loves granola. Riley would probably love granola if we ever gave her any (which we won't, calm down). Granola is SO bad for you though. I always laugh when it's marketed as "a health snack," because it is anything but. Sure, the basic ingredients - oats, nuts, raisins - are good for you, but douse them in sugar and oil, and even the most nutritional of ingredients start adding mass to your love handles.

I was lucky enough to stumble across a recipe that substituted the oil for applesauce and puréed pumpkin. So while this recipe still has a fair amount of sugar in it, the result is relatively healthy and pairs wonderfully with a bowl of my yogurt of choice: the low-fat maple from Seven Stars Farm, which, bee tee dubs, is owned by my best buddy Erica's uncle. It's also great as a snack, and for long car rides to beautiful New York weddings. Here it is, as adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod:

Pumpkin Spice Granola

Ingredients:

• 5 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup pumpkin purée
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup real maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Directions:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 325º.

In a large bowl, combine oats, spices, and salt. Thoroughly mix to distribute the spices throughout.

In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Whisk until the mixture is smooth.

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients, and mix until the oats are evenly coated.

Spread the mixture onto the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove baking sheet from the oven and mix the pumpkin seeds into the oats. Break up the non-bite-size friendly chunks, and evenly spread the ingredients on the baking sheet before placing into the oven for another 10 minutes. Remove sheet, mix ingredients again, and place in the oven for a final 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven. While the granola is still warm, mix in the dried cranberries. Allow the granola to cool and then store in an airtight container.