Maple and Almond Granola

Name: Maple and Almond Granola
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 60 ml/50 g vegetable or coconut oil; 60 ml/80 g maple syrup, golden syrup or honey, or a mixture; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 250 g rolled oats or a mixture of oats and oatmeal; 250 g mixed nuts and seeds of your choice, roughly chopped if necessary (I used flaked almonds, cashew pieces and sunflower seeds); 1 tbsp demerara sugar (optional); 50 g coconut shavings (I didn't have any so I added 50g more seeds); mixed chopped dried fruit of your choice (optional)

Joanne @JoanneinBath

Bath, UK

When I make granola it's usually the chocolate version for my daughter, but sometimes I make this vanilla and maple one, which I think is much nicer. You can adapt the recipe to whatever you have in the store cupboard, or to suit your nutty, fruity taste. I don't add dried fruit but of course you can stir in any kind you like, raisins or dried cranberries would work well, so would apricots. Add the fruit after baking, so it doesn't cook to a crisp, and cool the baked granola completely before storing.

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Ingredients

60ml/50 g vegetable or coconut oil
60ml/80 g maple syrup, golden syrup or honey, or a mixture
1/2 tspsalt
1/2 tspvanilla extract
250 grolled oats or a mixture of oats and oatmeal
250 gmixed nuts and seeds of your choice, roughly chopped if necessary (I used flaked almonds, cashew pieces and sunflower seeds)
1 tbspdemerara sugar (optional)
50 gcoconut shavings (I didn't have any so I added 50g more seeds)
mixed chopped dried fruit of your choice (optional)

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Steps

1

Pour the oil, syrup or honey, salt and vanilla in a small pan and heat gently. Preheat the oven to 160C/Gas 3.
2

Measure out the oats, nuts and seeds in a large bowl.
3

Pour the oil and syrup mixture into the bowl and mix with the dry ingredients until they are thoroughly coated. Taste, and add the sugar if you wish, it adds another level of crunch, but leave it out if you don't want the granola to be too sweet. Spread the mixture out on a large baking tray lined with baking parchment. Use two trays if necessary.
4

Bake in the oven for about 12 minutes, then turn the paper over on all four sides to pile the granola in the middle, then spread out evenly again. This will help it crisp up evenly. Bake for another 10 minutes, but keep an eye on it. Turn over again one or two times if necessary.
5

When crisp and golden all over remove from the oven. The granola won't be crisp while hot, so test on a cooled piece. Mix in the dried fruit while warm if using.
6

Leave on the tray to cool completely before pouring into a jar. Serve with ice cold milk or fruit juice or yogurt and fresh fruit, or just eat from the jar!

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Joanne @JoanneinBath

on April 24, 2016 16:44

Bath, UK

I enjoy cooking mostly because I like eating, but also because it's a great way to relax at the end of the day. I work in book publishing and especially enjoy creating cookbooks written by cooks who love cooking and sharing food rather than creating show stopping dishes that take days to put together. As Nigel Slater would say; 'we are, after all, simply making ourselves something to eat'. I live with my lovely daughter Isobel who rarely pays any kind of compliment but will occasionally admit something I've cooked was quite nice, and our dog Piper, who will eat anything.