Apricot Granola

Hands down the best granola you will ever make and taste. Funk it up with different purées, nuts, seeds and dried fruit. Just make sure you toast all the ingredients until they’re the deepest golden brown, and you will never buy this from the store again. Ever.

MAKES ABOUT 1.6 KG (3½ LB)

INGREDIENTS

450 g (1 lb/4 ½ cups) rolled oats

120 g (4¼ oz/¾ cup) sunflower seeds

120 g (4¼ oz/¾ cup) sesame seeds

100 g (3½ oz/½ cup lightly packed) soft brown sugar

250 g (9 oz/1½ cups) whole natural almonds, roughly chopped, some left whole

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon sea salt flakes

120 g (4½ oz/¹/₃ cup) golden syrup (light treacle) OR dark corn syrup

4 tablespoons honey

170 g (6 oz) apricot nectar (purée) OR any other fruit purée

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

100 g (3 ½ oz/1 ½ cups) dried shredded coconut

280 g (10 oz/1 ¾ cups) chopped dried apricots OR other dried fruit of choice

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) fan-forced. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

Using clean hands, mix the rolled oats, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, brown sugar, almonds, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a large bowl. Add the golden syrup, honey, apricot nectar and oil, and mix well. Spread the mixture evenly over the prepared tray, and bake for 20 minutes. Add the coconut, and mix well using a spatula. Spread out the mixture evenly again, and bake for another 10 minutes until deep golden brown.

Remove the tray from the oven, and sprinkle the dried apricots evenly over the granola. Mix through, then allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Great as a gift and keeps for a month.