Gift this granola at Christmas for a thoughtful present. Packed with dried fruit, nuts and stem ginger, it will keep in an airtight container for up to a month

10 Servings
 Vegetarian 

Ingredients

100g mixed nuts (we used whole hazelnuts, pistachios, almonds and pecans)
15 cardamom pods, or ½ tsp ground cardamom
50ml vegetable oil
100ml maple syrup
75ml honey
3 balls of stem ginger, chopped, plus 2 tbsp syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
300g rolled oats
50g mixed seeds (we used sunflower, pumpkin and linseed)
1 tsp cinnamon
50g soft dried apple rings, roughly chopped
50g raisins or dried cranberries

Method

STEP 1
Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and line a large baking tray with baking parchment. Roughly chop the nuts, leaving plenty of chunky pieces. Crack open the cardamom pods and lightly grind the seeds using a pestle and mortar to release their aroma.

STEP 2
Mix the oil, maple syrup, honey, ginger syrup and vanilla in a large bowl. Add the chopped stem ginger, oats, seeds, cinnamon, chopped nuts, cardamom and ½ tsp sea salt. Mix everything together until well coated in the syrup mixture.

STEP 3
Tip onto the baking tray and spread out evenly. Bake for 20 mins, then stir and return to the oven for a further 10 mins. For chunky granola, leave to cool without stirring, then break up into pieces. If you prefer a finer texture, stir from time to time as the granola cools. Mix in the dried fruit. Will keep in an airtight container for up to a month.