G R A N O L A

A staple in my kitchen, homemade granola is a treat. In the evenings when I feel peckish I sometimes add them to cold milk as late night supper. A hearty breakfast would consist of these granola with bananas, strawberries + blueberries atop cold, greek yoghurt. Because it is homemade, we have the option of using honey and molasses sugar instead of refined white sugar. This is great on its own if you need a little pick me up prior to a run or after a good workout. 

Although I have used cranberries and walnuts, you can use any type of dried berries and any type of nuts in this recipe. The berries provide a slightly tangy + sweet flavor whilst the nuts give the granola a good texture when combined with the oats.

They keep well in an airtight container for up to a month in the refrigerator 

Makes 10 - 12 servings

I n g r e d i e n t s

250 g rolled oats

60 g dried cranberries

100 g walnuts

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

55 g unsalted butter

45 g molasses sugar

80 g honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

M e t h o d 

1 | Preheat oven to 200°c and line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper

2 | Mix rolled oats, cranberries, walnuts, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl

3 | Melt butter and sugar in a saucepan. Add honey and vanilla extract to melted butter

4 | Pour melted butter into the rolled oats mixture and mix thoroughly. Lightly press unto prepared pan 

5 | Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until the surface is brown

O A T M E A L - C R A N B E R R Y - C H O C - C H U N K - C O O K I E

The rolled oats form a nice, chewy texture if this is what you're after in a cookie. It crisps nicely on the surface and remains soft and chewy on the inside. The cinnamon and slightly tangy dried cranberries allow us to pretend that it is autumn, but the real surprise lies in the melted dark chocolate that accompanies every bite.

As a treat I always toast it for 3 minutes and have it with a glass of cold milk so it feels almost as though winter is quietly approaching

Recipe modified from Oatmeal, Cranberry and Chocolate Chunk Cookies by Giada De Laurentiis

Makes 20-24 medium-sized cookies

I n g r e d  i e n t s

 | A |

125 g all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

| B |
113 g unsalted butter at room temperature

75 g light brown sugar

25 g sugar

1 large egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

| C |

210 g old fashioned oats

40 g dried cranberries

100 g dark chocolate (60% cocoa) chopped into chunks

M e t h o d

1 | Preheat oven to 180°c. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside

2 | Sift together the ingredients from A. This is mixture A

3 | Using a whisk or an electric mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. This is mixture B

4 | Add mixture A to B and mix until just incorporated. Then pour in ingredients from C into the batter and fold well.

5 | Spoon the mixture onto the baking tray and slightly flatten it with the back of the spoon

6 | Bake for 15 to 20 minutes till brown. Allow to cool for 20 minutes before serving or storing it.