Everyone has a version of granola that they love to make. There are lots on foodie websites at the moment, including of course, a version from my very favourite chef, cook and food writer – you know who I mean – Jamie!
I have been making versions of granola for a few years, along with home-made muesli and various species of cereal, nut, fruit and seed mixes on the way. I make it up as I go, tweaking the recipes depending on what I feel like at the time.
I really love a crunchy, toasty, baked granola, jammed packed with oats of course, and lots of nuts and seeds. I make a mix, and bake it on the oven till toasted. Once out of the oven and while still warm, I add dried fruit.
Sometime I make the basic mix with a little oil and honey, sometimes just honey, and if I feel super virtuous I make the “naked” version. No oil, no honey, just the unadorned oats and nuts and seeds.
This January 2016 version has a little honey for sweetness. I saw no need for oil, saving a few calories…
This granola has several different kinds of seeds – chia, linseed, sesame, poppy, pepitas – from my healthy food Mecca The Source at Balmain. And lots of nuts. Also my current favourite dried fruit – mango cheeks, cranberries and sour cherries.
But feel free to pop in what you want. This less of a recipe and more of a list of guidelines. The quantities are pretty changeable too.
My Granola
Ingredients
2 cups of rolled oats
1 cup of any combination of seeds – I used chia, linseed, sesame, poppy, pepitas
1/2 cup of any nuts you like – I used macadamias, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts
1/3 cup honey, warmed to pouring consistency in a microwave
1/2 cup of any dried fruit – I used apricots, mango cheeks, cranberries, sour cherries
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees C. You could try 170 degrees C for a quicker toasting but be careful you don’t burn the mix. Line a large baking tin with baking paper. You need to be able to spread the mix out without too many piles.
Mix the oats, seeds and nuts together in a large bowl. Pour the warmed honey onto the mix and quickly stir it through. The mixture will be quite sticky, so stir fairly aggressively. Sometime I loosen the honey before microwaving with a little bit of water to make it more runny and easier to mix. Up to you.
Spoon the mixture onto the baking paper in the tin, spreading it out so that it covers the base of the tin and there aren’t any big lumps.
Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the mixture is golden brown and thoroughly toasted. You will need to turn the mixture over half way through cooking, so that the underneath mixture gets its time on top and gets toasted. The oven time is a bit of guess work – just keep checking and remove when the mix is golden and not burnt!
Let cool for 5 minutes then add the dried fruit, combining everything well. Don’t worry if there are some clumpy bits stuck together with honey – they are a bonus!
Serving ideas: with milk, with yoghurt, with fresh fruit or mix with a handful of other cereal such as bran flakes or even more rolled oats. Make a breakfast trifle for something ritzy!
The Quirk and the Cool 