Sunday, August 1, 2010

Giada's Crunchy Granola

I'm a snacker, could you tell? I love to have something to munch on quite regularly. Sweet or savoury, I'm not overly fussy, though at times I do have a strong desire for one or the other.
One of my favourite snacking foods is granola. I love it. I don't normally like muesli, mostly because I can't stand cereals and milk. So this, eaten dry, is delicious! The recipe comes from Giada (pronounced Ja-dah). She's on the lifestyle food network, which we gave up last month :( She's an Italian who was brought up in LA, and she's EXTREMELY perky. But I still find her fabulous. I have 3 of her cookbooks, which I ordered from amazon, and they all have some lovely recipes in them. Anyway, here's her granola recipe:
Start by gently toasting 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas) and 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds in the oven. I turn it to about 150-160C and check it every few minutes. The pepitas will puff up a little, that's when it's ready. While that's happenning, chop a few handfuls of almonds (as many as you like, I like lots!). Then, in a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup cranberry juice, 1/3 cup maple syrup, 2/3 cup brown sugar and 1-2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Use as much cinnamon as you prefer, I like 2 teaspoons. Simmer this until the sugar dissolves.
In a large bowl, place 2 cups of oats, a pinch of salt, the toasted seeds and the chopped almonds. Add the syrup and stir well.

While the mix is still warm, spread it onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Spread it out with a spatula. I bake this in an oven at about 170C for 15 - 20 minutes. I then usually drop the oven back to 150C and keep an eye on it every minute until it's ready. I like mine quite crunchy, so I watch it get lovely and brown. If you want it chewy, grab it out when it's only golden, not going darker. At times, I've had the edges starting to burn, so I just pull them off, and put the rest back in.
When it's all ready to your liking, pull it out of the oven, and sprinkle with dried cranberries while it's warm. When it hardens, you can break it up into a container and enjoy at your leisure!

5 comments:

  1. I omit the sugar and have it with Greek yogurt for breakfast - so good!!! All three girls in this household gobble it up quick smart, thanks for sharing this yummy recipe x

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  2. Is it still good with no sugar? I suppose it must be if you all eat it quickly, I can't help but love that sweetness though!! Mind you, I can see it would be a bit sweet for yoghurt as it stands!!

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  3. Plenty of sweetness from the maple syrup, juice and cranberries. Try it one time x

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  4. Hi Kristy
    I just found your blog and it is LOVELY. This recipe looks great and I can't wait to give it a try.

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  5. Thanks Duck Herder. The recipe is fantastic, I rarely DON'T have some in my cupboard! Just keep your eye on it in the oven, it goes from golden to burnt on the edges in a flash!!
    Enjoy!

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