Coconut Cashew Maple Granola

附中文食譜

Breadcrumbs. Croutons. Granola. Just a few fine examples of kitchen staples that one should never bother purchasing from the grocers. That is not to say that I never bought them. In fact, for years I have too many a time stood on a supermarket aisle gawking at unintelligible ingredient lists and nutrition labels, baffled by choice and dubious health claims. And then one day I thought, why not make them myself?

The catch is... once you've made granola yourself, you can never turn back. It is so easy, lower in sugar, infinitely cheaper than commercial brands, and allows freedom in tailoring to your own taste. Try it and you will be hooked for good.

Putting together a large batch of granola takes merely under 10 minutes of active time

Nothing beats homemade granola: customize it with you favorite nuts, seeds, and dried fruits!

A strong craving for crunchy granola recently got me. Seeing that I have heaps of cashews and coconut flakes from Wholefoods sitting in my pantry, I set off to make my first batch of homemade granola for brunch.

In no time, the warm aroma of maple roasted cashews wafting through my kitchen transports me back to the streets of Manhattan, where pushcart vendors seduce passerby with all sorts of roasted nuts.

Imagine the formidable crunch, the subtle saltiness and sweetness of cashews enveloped in golden clusters of wholesome rolled oats; imagine the scent of toasted coconut and caramelized brown sugar, the soft chew of raisins - these are what make this granola dangerously addictive... so addictive that my visiting friend and I could hardly keep our paws off the baking pan despite being already stuffed.

Warning: this granola is highly addictive...!

Sprinkled over yoghurt and fruit, served with milk, or simply straight from jar to mouth, this homemade granola makes a delicious, nutritious breakfast or snack any time of the day. I use maple syrup and coconut oil for the added flavor and benefits, but feel free to substitute with honey and any mild tasting vegetable oil.

For more simple brunch ideas, check out my recent post!

To prepare...
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup cashews*
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup flaked coconut
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon salt*
1/4 cup raisins 
*Note: omit salt if using salted cashews.

Spread the granola out evenly on the baking sheet

1. Preheat oven to 150C/300F.
In a large bowl, combine oats, nuts, coconut, brown sugar, and salt (if using). In a separate bowl, combine oil and maple syrup. Drizzle the mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until well coated.

2. Spread granola in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes without stirring. This will allow the granola to crisp up.

3. Carefully turn the mixture over with a cooking spatula and continue to bake till golden brown, approximately 10 minutes more.

4. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes without disturbing. Break granola into clumps and scatter in raisins. Store in an airtight container for up to four weeks (I assure you you'd be making a new batch by then). Enjoy!

Top Greek yoghurt with some homemade granola and berries for a scrumptious breakfast!

《 腰果楓糖格蘭諾拉烤燕麥 》 

材料：

燕麥片  180 克

腰果  115 克*

杏仁切片  30 克

椰子片  40 克

紅糖  3 湯匙

純楓糖漿  85 克

椰子油  2 湯匙

鹽  1/2 茶匙*
提子乾  40 克

*備註：如使用已添加鹽的腰果，則可省放鹽。

做法：

1. 預熱焗爐至 150C / 300F。

2. 燕麥，腰果，杏仁，椰子，紅糖和鹽拌勻備用。

3. 椰子油和楓糖漿拌勻，倒入以上乾料，用膠刮拌勻。

4. 把已拌勻的材料平均地鋪放在鋪了烘培紙的焗盤上，放入焗爐焗40分鐘至金黃。

5. 取出晾涼約10分鐘，待其脆化。

6. 用鑊鏟輕輕地把烤燕麥翻轉，再放進焗爐焗約10分鐘至金黃。

7. 烘好後取出晾涼15分鐘左右，期間別多手觸碰啊！

8. 用手指輕輕把格蘭諾拉分開成小塊並撒上提子乾。

置密封的盒內可於室溫存放四星期。

I am officially in love with this granola. It will become a regular!

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