Q: I would love for you to invent a new and exciting granola. I enjoy granola as a snack, and I love to mix it into my yogurt. I'm just tired of the granola you can buy at the store, and I'm willing to make it at home.

A: I can't explain this, but when reading this reader's request, I was instantly inspired to create a breakfast granola that smacks of a Starbucks latte. This works out well because I am using the strong coffee as a substitute for some of the margarine or oil that is normally added in homemade granola recipes. I used 3 tablespoons of canola oil, 3 tablespoons of honey, 4 tablespoons of extra strong coffee and vanilla extract as the liquid that gets drizzled over the dry ingredients. Oats, sliced almonds, pecan pieces, brown sugar and ground flaxseed make up the dry ingredients for the granola. The result is a nicely flavored, crunchy, high-fiber granola that everyone I shared it with loved and that keeps well in a sealed container for several weeks. This granola may not seem "healthful" because the fat grams are a bit high, but those grams come from mostly "smart fats" (monounsaturated fat and plant omega-3s) courtesy of the nuts, flaxseed and canola oil.

see caption/Elaine Magee (ENLARGE)

CINNAMON DOLCE GRANOLA

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Elaine Magee is a registered dietitian and author of 25 books on nutrition and healthy cooking, including the new "Food Synergy." Need us to help make your recipes healthier? E-mail Magee at her Web site at www.recipedoctor.com.

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Cinnamon Dolce Granola 10 servings

Hands on: 8 minutes Total time: 40-45 minutes

This granola works well with vanilla yogurt, as a topping for smoothies and by itself with some fruit for breakfast.

Canola cooking spray

• 4 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cups ground flaxseed
• 2/3 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces
• 1/2 cup (light or dark) brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 tablespoons super strong coffee or espresso
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Position rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a jellyroll pan with foil and generously coat it with canola cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine oats, flaxseed, almonds, pecans, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon.

In a small saucepan, combine canola oil, coffee and honey and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring often, until hot and everything is well-mixed (about 3 minutes). Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in vanilla.

In the large bowl, pour the coffee mixture over the oat mixture and quickly stir well to distribute the liquid evenly. Spread the granola on the prepared baking sheet and bake until golden brown (about 30 minutes), stirring every 10 minutes. Transfer jellyroll pan to a cooling rack and cool granola completely. Store granola in an airtight container or sealable bag.

Per serving: 310 calories (percent of calories from fat, 37), 8.5 grams protein, 40 grams carbohydrates, 13 grams fat (1 gram saturated, 7.7 grams monounsaturated, 4 grams polyunsaturated), 6.3 grams fiber, 65 milligrams sodium, 8 grams omega-3 fatty acids, 2.8 grams omega-6 fatty acids, 6 Weight Watchers points.