1 1/2 cups mixed nuts that include cashews, pecans and almonds

1 cup golden raisins or your favorite dried fruit like cranberries or cherries

Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine everything but the raisins on a large non-stick jelly roll pan and mix with a big spoon so all the ingredients are well blended.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the syrup ingredients to a boil over a medium heat, ensuring that they have all dissolved, and then pour over the dry ingredients. Using a big spoon mix the syrup with the dry ingredients until well coated. This should be in one layer, so it bakes evenly.

Bake for 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven, stir granola well and spread out again. Return granola to oven and bake 20 to 30 more minutes, stirring twice, until evenly browned and until the syrup has been absorbed and the dry ingredients have re-crisped. Make sure it does not burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. Don't crowd the granola.

Remove pan from oven and let granola cool completely. Loosen the mixture with a kitchen fork or metal spatula, to avoid sticking to the pan, until the mixture has cooled completely. Mix in the raisins or other dried fruit. Store in an airtight container.

Advance Preparation: Store granola into an airtight container for up to 2 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.)