It’s crunch time

I absolutely love cereal. I like it so much I usually mix together two or three cereals in my morning bowl and top it all off with slices of banana or some blueberries, yummy :). I always go for the muesli/granola/healthy variety and if I feel the need for a wee sugar hit that’s when the mixing technique comes in handy for adding in something like Crunchy Nut Cornflakes. It might sound weird but you can’t beat a good cereal mix!

Today, I made my own granola following a recipe from my Ottolenghi cookbook  which I’ve adapted a bit according to what I had in the cupboard. This one is good because it includes a lot of healthy nuts and seeds that I always think I should eat more of every time I read about how good they are for you. The recipe is also really easy to follow and makes a very tasty granola.

Ingredients

40g walnut halves                                 (for the syrup)

40g cashew nuts                                   ¼ tsp salt

300g whole rolled oats                           3 tbsp water

100g pumpkin seeds                              4 tbsp sunflower oil

60g dessicated coconut                          120ml maple syrup

100g dried apricots, chopped                 120ml honey

60g dried cranberries

60g flame raisins

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 140°C/Gas Mark 1. Roughly chop all the nuts and put them in a large mixing bowl. Add the oats and seeds and set aside.

2. Mix together all the syrup ingredients in a small saucepan. Place over a low heat and stir while you warm the syrup gently. Once it is warm, pour it over the seeds, nuts and oats and stir well with a wooden spoon.

3. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment and spread the granola over it evenly. It should form a layer no more than 1cm thick. If it is too thick, consider using 2 trays. Bake for 40 minutes, turning and mixing the granola 2 or 3 times. When ready, it will have taken on a dark, honey-like colour. Don’t worry if it is soft; once cool it will turn crunchy. Remove from the oven. While the granola is still warm but not hot, stir in the dried fruit. Leave to cool on the tray and then transfer to a sealed container. It will keep for up to 2 weeks.

 

Hope you all have a great weekend! 

Carla