Piece of life
Spring break is already here! My daughter will spend the week with daddy who has planned a lot of activities. But in the meantime, my son and I will continue our little routine at work and daycare. Unfortunately, it’s not for everyone to rest this week and let’s face it, it’s not always easy to not be able to coordinate our agendas. I would have loved to enjoy this week with my family. But hey, that’s life!
Even if I’m not on vacation, I wanted us to enjoy this first day to do something special as a family. So we spent the day at the Montreal Science Center and we were able to discover the famous exhibition “Dinosaurs around the world”. I didn’t venture to see the movie because my son is a bit too young, but the exhibition was great and the kids were impressed. Of course we enjoyed the permanent exhibits and the whole family loved it. I recommend it!
Back at home, we wanted a little sweet treat and we decided to make some granola. It’s the new passion of the moment at home. And to be honest with you, we didn’t make 1 granola but 3! And yes, when you love you don’t count!
About the almond, hazelnut and chocolate granola
This one is my absolute favorite: simple, classic, delicious!
How to make granola?
The principle of granola is simple: you mix cereal flakes, nuts and seeds with a little fat and sugar. The mixture is then baked in the oven until it has a nice golden color and a divine crispness.
The choice of components is infinitely adjustable, and after baking, chocolate and/or dried fruit can be added for the ultimate gourmet touch.
Oatmeal
There are millions of possibilities, but oatmeal is the basic ingredient in granola recipes. I’ll share recipes with different grains, but for today oats is the star.
You can find quick oats or old-fashioned ones. For granola, go for the old-fashioned, although the quick-cooking ones work too. Old-fashioned oats are less processed and will have a better crunch.
Nuts
There are so many choices! I decided on almonds because they are a classic that many people have in their kitchen, and hazelnuts because I love them. But you can vary as much as you want [spoiler alert: upcoming recipes will be pecan and cashew]. It’s simple, use what you like, what you have, what you find… In short, treat yourself and let your imagination run wild
Oil
Yes, you need some. You can vary but I use olive oil everywhere, even in desserts. But you can opt for a neutral oil if you prefer (avocado, canola, grape seed…).
Sugar
Here we need liquid sugar. Honey and maple syrup are my favorites, but agave syrup is also popular when it comes to granola. Personally, I’ve never used it [well, not yet, but you know me, I like to try new things…].
Almond, hazelnut and chocolate granola
Équipements
Ingredients
- 315 g old-fashioned oats
- 150 g almonds
- 75 g peeled hazelnuts
- 150 g dark chocolate
- 80 mL olive oil (or to choice)
- 80 mL honey or maple syrup
- 1 pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Roughly chop the almonds and hazelnuts.
- In a bowl, combine the oats, almond and hazelnut pieces and salt. Mix.
- Add oil and honey. Mix so that the dry ingredients are evenly coated with the liquids.
- Spread the mixture in a thin layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 30 minutes, stirring the mixture every 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool.
- Coarsely chop the chocolate and add it to the cooled granola.
