my granola formula
highly customisable and perfect for snacking
What I’m reading: my newest cookbook - Sweet, by Alexina Anatole. It’s beautifully shot and has a lot of recipes that I’m dying to try.
What I’m listening to: another song that has been stuck in my head for the last couple of days :)
What I’m eating: I recently tried Crisp pizza in Hammersmith for the first time, and can confirm that it’s worth the hype. Highly recommend getting online at 11am on a Monday to book your slot (below)
The recipe this week is something that I heretofore (I’ve always wanted to use that word) didn’t even really consider a recipe. I make granola fairly regularly, and I usually have a batch of it in a jar in my kitchen. I have never been able to find a supermarket version that I really like, so it makes a lot more sense (and is a lot cheaper) to make it yourself. I’ll usually use up bits and pieces that I have in the cupboard, but the version below is what I would consider my ULTIMATE granola. It’s got cashews, dried cranberries and dried apricots, along with plenty of oats (Flahavan’s), mixed seeds and a pinch each of salt and cinnamon. I like to use maple syrup for sweetening and coconut oil for fat/binding.
You don’t need me to tell you how to serve this granola, but all the usual serving suggestions apply (yogurt, porridge etc.) - including my favourite way to eat it, which is as a snack (with milk, out of a coffee cup).
I made granola at home in Dublin about 6 years ago, and when my mum asked for the recipe, I sent a very vague Whatsapp message with no quantities whatsoever and a very rough guide on baking temp/time. When pressed for more specific instructions, I said to “eyeball” the amounts, which I now realise is remarkably unhelpful - so this one is for you, mum.
Make a big batch of this granola, but use whatever nuts/seeds/fruit take your fancy. Pecans, walnuts and almonds are all lovely, and you can swap in raisins or sultanas or dates for the fruit component. You can use a neutral oil such as vegetable instead of coconut if you don’t like the taste, and you can swap out honey or brown sugar for the maple syrup if that’s not your thing (I have cut the maple with agave for purely economical reasons). The point is that this is more of a FORMULA than a RECIPE. You need a melted mixture including fat and sugar for flavour and binding + a dry mixture of oats, nuts and seeds (which will be toasted fat and sugar) + dried fruit (which will be added post toasting). These are the rules, and beyond that, the world is your oyster.
recipe: granola
