food to glow

Gingerbread Granola brings Christmas vibes to your breakfast table at any time of the year. Subtly sweet, slow-baked and delectably crunchy, make it even more irresistible by adding dried cranberries and little nuggets of dark chocolate after cooling. A great last-minute Christmas gift, too.

I’ve been making granola for years. By years I mean 20 years. Late-1997 was when my daughter Rachel was old enough to competently eat small crunchy bits without my finger nervously poised on the emergency speed dial button. At the time I didn’t include nuts, just applesauce-coated and slow-baked oats. Always with a light hand of cinnamon and cardamom. I kept the sugar content waaay down. Still do.

Countless batches of granola have been in and out of my oven. Sometimes scoffed right off the tray. Mostly we are able to delay our gratification until it cools right down, the individual clusters and stray bits getting super crunchy. Then I use the parchment paper underneath as a funnel, decanting the insanely aromatic granola into airtight jars for breakfasts – and, more likely for me – evening snacks. Although I mainly make granola because of its supreme ease and customisability (less sugar!), there is also the price thing. Store-bought granola of the pedigree I desire is quite the costly business.

Every time I catch a glimpse of the price of a small-batch granola in its faux rustic packaging (always something in rough brown paper) I am always glad that we make our own. Not in a smug way though. After all, I don’t make my own vegetable stock and rarely make bread, except for Southern cornbread. It’s a pleasant ritual for me. Every time Rachel comes home from uni I make a batch of granola for her to take back with her. And now I make some for her boyfriend Dan, too.

Which leads me to today’s recipe. If you have even a scintilla of time left in your festive calendar, why not make a big batch of this Gingerbread Granola to gift? Leave some for yourself, obviously. Or at least spill a lot onto the countertop when decanting. :-)

If you made my One-Bowl Chocolate-Orange Lebkuchen Cake you will have some spice mix left. As well as adding it to waffle batter, scone dough and even nut butter, consider also this easy granola recipe. Keep half and decant the rest into festive food bags with the recipe attached.

Fancy more granola recipes? Here ya go:

Bircher-Style Granola with Berry-Cherry Compote

Malted Whole Grain and Quinoa Granola

Slow-Baked Apple Pie Granola

Slow-Baked Sunflower Butter Granola

So-Cocoa Granola

Good-For-You Granola

 

And these granola-centred recipes:

 

American-Style Chocolate Granola Pancakes

Matcha Green Tea Granola Bites

Crunchy Granola Applewiches

I want to take this opportunity to wish you a very Happy Christmas and a healthy, happy and glowing 2018. See you next week for another breakfast recipe!

RIPE FOR PINNING!