SORREL GRANOLA (Holidays in Jamaica!)

The good stuff:

Granola has typically been marketed as an overpriced “health food”- but you have to be careful because 1) it’s still full of sugar and 2) it’s very cheap to make- so save yourself the money and get creative in the kitchen!
Something to consume in moderation- so enjoy this holiday granola recipe!
If you’re not familiar with Sorrel (Roselle), it’s an ingredient that shows up a lot around Christmas in Jamaica. The flowers are beautiful and a very good source of phytochemicals & antioxidants.

You’ll need:

For the granola:

For the sorrel syrup (you can make this and leave it in a bottle to use on other occasions):

The process:

Prepare the sorrel syrup first (make this the night before). Place the sorrel in a large pot and fill with water until HALF of the sorrel flowers are covered with water (we want this to be super concentrated).
Let it boil, then reduce heat and cook for an hour on low heat.
Take out about half of the sorrel leaves and set aside (you’re going to use these later).
Now transfer the remaining sorrel with water to a blender and BLEND.
Put the blended liquid back in the pot- straining the sorrel mixture.
Add about 2 cups of brown sugar and cook on low heat until it forms a sticky syrup (you want a maple syrup texture).
Now you’re ready to make your granola 🙂 Preheat oven to 300F / 150C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix oats & cinnamon & pinch of salt. Then add the coconut oil & sorrel syrup. Mix everything. Together. If you’re not seeing the oats form clusters, then add a bit more of the sorrel syrup (it’s going to act like a glue to stick the oats together).
Chop some sorrel flowers (the half that you took out of the pot) and throw them in the mix too.
Pour onto baking tray, bake for 1 hour stirring every 15 minutes.
Add the roasted almonds when the granola is ready.
Preserve in an air-tight container to maintain maximum crispiness 🙂