1/2 cup wheat or oat bran

1/2 cup flax seed

1 cup coarsely chopped raw pecans

1/2 cup sliced raw almonds

3 tablespoons coconut oil

1/2 cup honey or Grade B maple syrup

2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes

2/3 cup unsweetened dried cranberries, cherries or apricots, or a mix of all

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, combine the oats, sunflower seeds, bran, flax seed, pecans and almonds. Drizzle with oil, and toss well to coat evenly. You can use your hands to do this.

2. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm honey until it liquefies, 3 to 5 minutes. Drizzle the honey over oat mixture, and toss again to coat evenly. If you are using maple syrup, add it to the granola without heating.

3. Spread mixture evenly among two (11-by-17-inch) baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove pans from oven, stir granola well and spread out again. Reduce oven temperature to 325 F, return granola to the oven, and bake 15 to 20 more minutes, stirring twice, until evenly browned. Add the coconut 5 minutes before the end of baking. Make sure it does not burn. Don't crowd the granola; it should be in one layer.

4. Remove pans from the oven, and let granola cool completely. Mix in the unsweetened dried fruit. Store in an airtight container.

Advance preparation: Store granola into an airtight container for up to two weeks.

(Diane Rossen Worthington is an authority on new American cooking. She is the author of 18 cookbooks, including "Seriously Simple Parties," and a James Beard Award-winning radio show host. You can contact her at www.seriouslysimple.com.)