Recipe: Hola Granola
By Elena Gibbs
Ingredients:
200g mixed unsalted nuts (I get the resealable bags from Lidl, I think £1.89)
Large handful rolled oats
Large handful seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, mixed, etc.)
Handful raisins or chopped dried fruit
Anything else granola-ey (I had toasted flaked almonds from a previous truffle-making session)
1 heaped tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 ripe banana, mashed with a fork
2 tbsp peanut butter
3 tbsp honey—if you like sweet granola, use more (mine had more of a nutty roasted flavour than standard sugary taste, but less is obviously healthier)
Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Chop nuts on a board until broken but still nicely chunky. Mix all dry ingredients in large bowl.
Separately, mix mashed banana and peanut butter. Spoon the honey into a mug and warm on high in microwave for 10 seconds, then add to banana mix.
Pour banana-ey goodness over nuts and combine until well coated.
Spread evenly onto a lightly greased tray and bake for around 20 minutes, till smelling nutty and delicious. Halfway through roasting give the mix a scrape to ensure big clusters don’t form. If you like big clusters in your granola, leave this part till the end of cooking.
Remove from oven and restrain from eating entire tray of granola. Cool and store in a sealed container. Serve on top of yoghurt, porridge, smoothies etc.
I think this would make a lovely homemade gift if packaged in an old jam jar and sealed with a pretty piece of fabric, some string and a handwritten label.