Granola

Description

I make this at night after dinner so when it comes out of the oven I can have it warm with ice cream. So good! When its cooled I have it with yoghurt and fruit, or by itself as a snack. Original recipe over at Cooked & Loved.

Ingredients

• 3 cups mixed almonds, hazelnuts, macadamia and brazil nuts (I usually use 1 cup almonds 1 cup macadamia 1 cup brazil nuts)
• ⅔ cup dried fruit (plums, dried cherries, cranberries, apricots, figs or dates)
• ½ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• ⅔ cup desiccated coconut, unsweetened
• ½ cup coconut flakes (if you have them)
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2-3 tbsp honey (rice malt syrup, maple syrup or coconut syrup can also be used)
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• Optional but very nice: zest of 1 orange
• Dollop of coconut oil or ghee
• 1-2 tbsp chia seeds (I just add this to the servings)
• You will need a food processor or some other way to break the nuts into smaller crumbs

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 165°C (330°F).
2. Add two and a half cups of whole nuts (reserve the rest as whole nuts) to a food processor. Process the mixture into medium size crumbs, some of it will turn into finer flour/meal like consistency but that's what we want - a variety of shapes and sizes. Transfer to a large bowl. (I add the dried fruit at the very end once the mix is cooled.)
3. Add the remaining whole nuts and the rest of ingredients, excluding chia seeds. Mix well and use a wooden spoon or a spatula to break down the clumps which will form when coconut oil and honey come into contact with dry ingredients. It's ok if some of them remain unbroken.
4. Grease a large baking tray with some coconut oil or ghee and line it with baking paper, making sure the sides are covered. Spoon the mix into the tray and flatten with a spatula.
5. Bake in three stages. First bake for about 12 minutes and then stir the mix as the top would have browned by now. Then bake for 8-10 minutes and stir again. Finally bake for the last 4-5 minutes.
6. Remove and let it cool completely. The mixture should have turned crispy and dark golden brown. (Take it off the baking paper before it cools completely as it will stick.)
7. Finally add chia seeds and transfer to an air-tight container. You can leave it out of the fridge for a few days but it will keep longer, for up to two weeks, if you refrigerate it. (It doesn't last more than a few days!)