Christmas Baking: Day 1 - Muesli

This year - as I do every year - I am making home-made food items to give to my family and friends as Christmas gifts.  I love putting together bags of beautifully wrapped treats that I know they will enjoy.  Home-made food gifts is also a great way to keep the cost of Christmas down ans stay away from the crowds at the mall.

This year I plan to make:

• Apricot and Cranberry Muesli - my recipe
• Fig and Walnut Roulade - to go in a cheese board - from Feast magazine this month
• Salted Caramel Fudge from here
• Coconut Ice - my Mum's favourite - from Donna Hay Magazine
• Shortbread - from Womens Weekly Afternoon Tea cookbook
• Chewy Caramels with Salted Peanuts - from Donna Hay Magazine
•  Amaretti and Cranberry Truffles - from Donna Hay Magazine

 I have gotten the recipes from magazines, the internet and my own notebook.

The one I am starting with - because it is the easiest and will keep the longest, is the muesli.


I know I have posted the recipe before but if you would like to make this version you will need:

• Oats
• Puffed millet
• Chia seeds
• Dried apricots - chopped into pieces - I think scissors are the easiest
• Dessicated coconut
• Dried cranberries
• Molasses
• Almond Oil - or other nut/falvourless oil
• Golden Syrup/Rice Syrup or Maple Syrup - some form of sweetener
• Sunflower Seeds

Follow the method posted about here.

Step 1: Put everything into the baking dish

Step 2: Mix it all so everything is coasted with the sweeteners.

Recipe - Home made museli/granola

I haven't shared a recipe for awhile and I thought that I would share this one for museli/granola as I am contsnatly making it for myself and my husband.  I have also put it into the lovely French preserving jars and given it for a gift tied with a nice ribbon - it's great for people that are hard to buy for.

I also think that it is much better value to make your own museli than to buy it as any of the ones that I like are about $10 for a small box and my husband doesn't like sultanas and most of them have sultanas.

 

This is what it looks like after it has been toasted and turned over a few times.  

The ingredients that I use change all of the times depending on what we have, what I need to use up, what is on special at the shop and who I am making it for.  I have not specified amounts because you just need to use your eye and the amounts change depending on what baking tray you use etc.

Ingredients

Rolled Oats

Bran

Coconut flakes or dessicated coconut

LSA mix

Raw Almonds

Pepitas

Sunflower Seeds

Banana Chips (I think these are vile but they are easy enough to pick out...)

Treacle

Maple Syrup

Brown Rice Syrup

Almond oil (this can be any vegetable oil that doesn't have a string taste)

 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to about 180.  Line a baking tray with foil (so much easier that soaking and scrubbing - I have tested).

2.  Add all dry ingredients to tray.

3.  Pour over wet ingredients.  You only need a tiny bit of oil to help everything move around in the tray easily and also the treacle is VERY strong - go steady.

4.  Mix everything well and bake for 10 minutes.  I have to set a timer or I forget and it burns quite quickly because of the complex sugars.

5.  Mix again and put back for another 10 - 15 minutes (I also rotate my tray and change shelves - I have a traditional oven).

6.  When toasty remove and mix.  Leave to cool for 5 minutes than decant into a lovely jar.