makes 16 cups
from Christine Moore's "Little Flower: Recipes from the Cafe"
1/2 cup veg oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
3 cups mixed nuts, chopped -- almonds, pecans, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds
4 cups mixed dried fruit, chopped -- cherries, cranberries, apples, pears, apricots, raisins, dates
Heat oven to 325F
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment
In a sauce pan over medium-low heat, add the oil, sugar, syrup, and salt until clear; stir occasionally.
Remove from heat; add vanilla extract.
Place the rolled oats and the mixed nuts in a large bowl. Pour the sugar mixture over..
Stir with spatula to coat the oats and nuts evenly.
Divide the mixture between the lined pans.
Make thin, even layers
Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Rotate and stir halfway through.
Cool slightly before stirring in the dried fruit and storing.
Store in tightly sealed container for up to a week.