Honey, almond and date granola

Something very important happens when I am deeply invested in a process. Firstly, the process itself stops being a chore and instead it becomes an activity in its own right that has intrinsic meaning to me. And secondly, the end product seems to hold so much more value. This is particularly so for me with growing or producing my own food. Perhaps it is the delayed gratification. Perhaps it is understanding the effort that goes towards each delicious mouthful - whether it is tending to a seed until it becomes a harvest of vegetables, or tending to the bees and watching them work constantly to produce that teaspoon of honey. Perhaps it is the wonder.

This granola recipe is a celebration of that investment - in this case a celebration of the bees and all it is to be a beekeeper. The end product, but not the goal, being honey. Wondrous honey. With a delicious combination of almond and date, and a little salt to balance the sweetness, this is my new favourite. Granola is so easy to make - like beekeeping however it too requires some mindfulness to get it to that perfect golden crunchy point without taking it too far.

Honey, almond and date granola

Ingredients

4 cups rolled oats

1 cup puffed quinoa

1 cup slithered almonds

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 egg white

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 cup chopped pitted dates

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees and line a large baking tray with baking paper.

2. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, except the pitted dates.

3. In a small jug, combine the coconut oil, honey, egg white and vanilla essence and mix well.

4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until evenly coated.

5. Spread the mix evenly on the lined baking tray.

6. Bake for 10 minutes. It is one recipe I use an alarm for. Remove from the oven and stir, ensuring you fold the granola on the edge into the middle or it will cook faster and by the end will burn.

7. Return to the oven for 6 minutes. Remove and stir/fold.

8. Return to the oven for a further 6 minutes. Remove and stir/fold.

9. Your granola will be getting very close. If needing a little more colour try a further 4 minutes and you are done.

10. Let cool. It will get crunchier as it does so. Stir through the chopped dates.

11. Store in an airtight container or eat right away. This batch goes ridiculously well with fresh pear and some Greek yoghurt.