This granola truly feels like dessert for breakfast, and as we get closer to December, this Cherry Bakewell Tart Granola will bring all the Christmas feels!
When I first arrived in the UK, I often saw small iced tarts with a glacé cherry on top, in bright pink boxes sold at supermarkets. I had never heard of Cherry Bakewell Tarts and it took me a long time to actually try them. I was never a fan of a strong almond flavour or what I call 'fake cherries', so I wasn't convinced I would actually like them. Then at some point, at a friend's gathering, someone opened a packet of Cherry Bakewell Tarts and I decided to try one. Let me tell you, my little mind was blown! I had never thought it would work for me, but there is something about those sugary iced mini tarts that feels deeply comforting to me, and somehow, even a tad nostalgic.
I never crave Cherry Bakewells in the warmer months, but as soon as autumn coms, I find myself looking for the bright pink boxes in the bakery section of my local supermarket. During lockdown, I experimented with a few dessert-inspired granola recipes which have gone down a storm, so a while ago, I decided to try a Cherry Bakewell Tart Granola and it was everything I could have hoped for. The tartness of the dried cherries together with the mellow taste of almond works perfectly on yogurt and feels truly indulgent. So say hello to your new favourite dessert for breakfast - this granola is not one to be missed!
How to Get the Best Granola
First, mix your dry ingredients: Oats, almond flour, chopped almonds and dried cherries should be mixed thoroughly in a bowl.
Then, add your wet ingredients: Add some maple syrup, a few tablespoons of almond butter and a generous amount of almond extract to the mix.
You want a sticky consistency: You don't want to overdo it with liquids. Yur granola must be sticky but not runny, you must fight to get it off your spatula and spread on your baking sheet.
Your oven should not be too hot: A high oven temperature will result in your granola burning, not actually baking. 170C/340F is just perfect.
Once it's out of the oven, don't touch it: I know, it is super tempting to crumble your granola as soon as it's out of the oven (just like you can't resist having a piece of brownie when they are still piping hot). However, leaving your granola to cool down is essential to get those big granola chunks we all love, as opposed to a disappointing oat powder.
Substitutions
Almond butter: The best thing to substitute this with is either cashew butter or sunflower seed butter as they don't have a strong flavour. Peanut butter would be too overpowering, so I would not recommend it.
Dried cherries: I know they can be quite hard to find! You can use a few glacé cherries coupled with dried cranberries instead. It will still be delicious.
Almond flour: Ground almonds and almond flour are basically the same thing. However, if you don't have it and don't want to use a food processor to grind down some of your almonds, you can skip almond flour altogether.
Ingredients:
120 gr oats (you can also use porridge oats)
40 grs dried cherries*
30 grs almond flour
40 grs almonds, roughly chopped
3 tbps almond butter
4 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbps olive oil
1 heaped tbps almond extract (yes, tbsp, not tsp)
*See the Substitution section if you struggle to find dried cherries.
Method:
Preheat the oven to 170C/340F.
In a large bowl, mix together oats, chopped almonds, dried cherries and almond flour.
In another bowl mix together the almond butter, olive oil, almond extract and maple syrup.
Add the wet mix to the dry ingredients and mix until you get a sticky consistency.
Transfer the mixture to a baking sheet lined with baking paper and press it down evenly with a spoon or spatula.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Take the granola out of the oven and let it cool down.
Once cooled down, use your fingers to gently break the granola into chunks.
Transfer your granola into an air-tight jar or container. I like to serve mine over yogurt, topped with fresh cherries. This granola will keep for 5 to 7 days.
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