Granola

Read through the recipe and gather the equipment. Use the ingredient lines to prepare and measure everything, and line the 18-inch by 13-inch sheet pan with parchment paper. Everything is measured and the pan is lined.

Heat the oven to 300°F with a rack in the middle. The oven is on and heating.

Whisk about 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, the olive oil, brown sugar, 3/4 tsp fine sea salt, vanilla and cinnamon in the large bowl until the sugar dissolves and the coating looks glossy and even, about 1 minute.

Taste a drop from the whisk. Aim for sweet maple, warm cinnamon and vanilla, and a clear salty edge, stronger than you want the finished granola. If it tastes flat, add fine sea salt to taste; for more sweetness, add pure maple syrup to taste, no more than 2 tbsp more for this batch. The coating tastes sweet, warm and clearly salted.

Add the oats, pecans, pumpkin seeds and coconut flakes, if using. Fold with the spatula, scooping up from the bottom, until every oat is shiny and no dry patches are left at the bottom of the bowl.

Spread the mixture over the lined pan in an even layer, edge to edge, and press it down firmly with the spatula or the bottom of the measuring cup. Push any thin edges in toward the center. The layer is compact and even all over.

Bake on the rack in the middle at 300°F until deep golden brown, dry-looking and toasty-smelling, about 40 to 45 minutes, turning the pan front to back about halfway through without stirring. It still feels a little soft while hot.

Set the pan on the wire rack and leave the granola whole, without stirring or breaking it, until completely cool and hard to the touch, about 45 minutes.

Lift the granola out by the parchment and break it into clusters of the size you want. Toss with the dried cherries. The granola is in clusters, with the cherries spread through.

Divide into 12 servings of 1/2 cup each, with milk or yogurt, or store it airtight at room temperature, where it keeps its crunch for about 2 weeks. The granola is portioned or sealed airtight.