Whip It Up - Macadamia Maple Granola

Its the final week of Whip It Up and the theme this week was desert. I like desert, but tend not to eat it very often. I actually prefer savory food, so would usually choose a second helping of mains over desert.

While this Macadamia Maple Granola is supposed to be breakfast, I decided it sounded far too sweet for first thing in the morning, but it sounded so yummy I wanted to give it a try. I decided that if I layered the granola in a glass with delicious Greek yogurt and a few blueberries, it would make a nice desert. And it did. Creamy with a bit of a crunch, the lime zest in the granola and the blueberries added some acidity that stopped it being overly sweet.

I actually stuck to the recipe for once, but (there had to be a but, didn't there?!) I didn't have any plain rolled oats so used the porridge oats with oat bran and wheat that I have for breakfast every morning, which is a bit finer than rolled oats, so I probably ended up with a slightly different texture.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 6 tablespoons maple syrup (and make sure its the real stuff!)
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2/3 cups macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
• Good quality Greek yogurt
• berries (if desired)

Preheat oven to 175C. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with baking paper. Combine butter and maple syrup in a pan and set over medium heat until butter is melted but not boiling. Remove from heat.

Mix the remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl. Pour in the butter and syrup and stir to combine. Spread onto the prepared cookie sheet in a thin layer (my cookie sheet was quite small, so I cooked this in two batches). Cook for 12 minutes or until golden, stirring the mixture once or twice as it bakes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Spoon some yogurt in a glass, sprinkle on some of the granola and a few berries. Repeat as many times as desired. Be careful not to smear yogurt up the sides of the glass so that you can see the layers. Eat and enjoy.

This recipe was very simple, and easy to follow (I'm a big fan of recipes with only a few ingredients. Because I am lazy). I had to cook the granola for significantly longer than 12 minutes to turn it golden, but I think that is more a reflection of my oven than the recipe. I would definitely make it again and think it would be great for dinner parties because you could make the granola well in advance and it only requires a tiny bit of assembly just before serving.

So that's it for Whip it Up - its been a fun experiment and I've come away with a few new recipes to add to my repertoire. Which ones will I make again regularly? Warm Thai noodle salad, twice baked potatoes, Spinach & feta . . . something, mozzarella with tomatoes and basil, conchiglioni with ricotta broad beans and mint (but without the broad beans, because I'm lazy), and this granola.

Ones that I probably won't bother with: Mango chicken salad and prawn rice noodle salad.

So all and all, I'd consider it a successful experiment!

Comments

[Christine Long]

HOLY YUMMEROOS!!! Now I want to head to the store and buy the ingredients! Or come over to your house to eat your leftovers!

[Suburban Lush]

Come over for the leftovers - I made double the recipe and there is no way I can eat it all! I made double cause I thought I might like some for breakfast but holy hell that stuff is sweet!