Spiced Honey Apple Granola

This granola is naturally sweetened with apples & raw honey, making it deliciously more-ish. With fresh ginger & cardamom for warmth. You can add whichever nuts, seeds or dried fruit you prefer or have to use in your cupboard. Not just for breakfast, this granola is the perfect accompaniment to a goat's cheese salad or sprinkled on a  bowl of soup for that added crunch. 

Honey Type - Set: Spring, Autumn & Winter

Takes - 15 minutes to prep / 30-40 minutes to bake / 10 minutes to cool 

Makes - enough to fill 2 x 1 litre jars, keeps for up to a month

Special equipment - food blender to make apple puree (don't worry if you don’t have one, instead peel & chop apples into small cubes & grate the ginger) 

Ingredients:

• 3 apples (approx 250g) + 30ml water
• 1 inch of fresh ginger 
• 100g honey 
• 40 ml olive oil
• 1 tsp sea salt 
• 1 tsp cinnamon 
• 5 cardamom pods crushed, seeds removed (optional)
•  450g porridge oats 
• 100g seeds (tend to use a mix of pumpkin & sunflower) 
• 150g nuts (tend to use pecans, almonds & pistachio but whatever you like or have in the cupboard)

*100g dried fruit (optional, raisins, cranberries, dried apple! Add once baked)  

Method: 

1. Chop the apple (remove core) & ginger into chunks, leaving the skin on if blending. Place in a small saucepan with honey & 30ml water, cook on a low heat for 5 minutes until softened. Blend into a coarse puree. Alternatively cook for 10-15 minutes till fruit breaks down then mash with a fork. 
2. Place the puree back in the pan and combine with olive oil, salt  & spices. Give this a good mix then combine with oats in a large bowl. I find the easiest way is to massage the oats with your hands or if you have a stand mixer you can beat with a K blade to incorporate. Then stir through nuts & seeds. 
3. Spread the granola mix out onto two lined baking trays, break up with your fingers leaving some clumps of oats to bake into clusters. 
4. Bake at 160c , rotating and stirring every 15 minutes to ensure even baking. Bake for 40-50 minutes until all evenly golden and dried out. Often I will bake the  granola then turn the oven off and leave inside till fully cooled. This just helps to dry it out that little bit more and keeps its crunch for longer.  Leave to cool fully before storing in an airtight container.

 Author: @lucyrosetteturnbull