#3671 - Granola Pieces

(by Shirley Ross - friend)

2 cups Quaker old fashioned oats
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup chopped peanuts
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1 cup Baker's angelflake coconut
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
3 TBSP butter
2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray it with Pam. In a bowl add oats, sliced almonds, chopped peanuts, chopped pecans and coconut--stir to mix. Grease a separate cookie sheet with Pam and spread the oat mixture evenly on the sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Pour the oat mixture into a bowl and add the toasted wheat germ--stir to mix. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. In a saucepan add honey, butter, dark brown sugar, vanilla and salt--cook/stir over medium heat until boiling. Once boiling, cook/stir for 1 more minute. Remove from heat--pour the hot mixture over the oat mixture. Add the chopped dates, chopped dried apricots and chopped dried cranberries--stir well. Spread the mixture evenly over the parchment paper covered cookie sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from oven--use a spatula to flatten the whole top slightly. Cool completely, then break the mixture into pieces.