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:
- 3 cups rolled oats (do not use instant oats please!)
- 1 cup roasted almonds, chopped
- 1/4 cup sorrel syrup + more if needed.
- 1/4 coconut oil
- Pinch of salt
- Sorrel, chopped*
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the sorrel syrup (you can make this and leave it in a bottle to use on other occasions):
- 1 lb sorrel flowers
- Water
- Brown sugar
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 🙂
