Whether you say muesli or granola, this is sure to be one recipe you’re going to love. This date and nut muesli is amazing. I know muesli is readily available in supermarkets these days, and in a multitude of flavours too, but trust me you want to make this muesli, it is unbelievably delicious and addictive.
I should tell you that this muesli will last you 8 weeks in an airtight jar in your pantry but in reality, it won’t make it that far. You see the thing is that this muesli tastes good with milk, it tastes good with yoghurt but in all likelihood, you’re going to eat it straight out of the jar. So yes, this will last 8 weeks, but I can’t guarantee it won’t be finished before then.
This recipe is based on one I found on Serious Eats and it is one of the best recipes I’ve tried. It yields crispy, crunchy, sweet, buttery clusters, so it’s easy to see why you would just eat it on its own. It may not be the healthiest muesli, but it definitely tops the list for the tastiest.
Buttermilk and butter are left to soak into the oats and I think it’s this step that creates the delicious clusters. Sugar is added and left to dissolve, then it’s all baked for a few hours until golden and crunchy. Once completed you can add any toppings you like, for this version I added dates and a combination of almond and pecan nuts. I am so glad I decided on the pecans, they work amazingly well in this and go perfectly with the dates.
I filled the muesli into jars and gifted them to close family for Eid. It was a well-received gift and I had requests for more just 2 weeks later (see I told you it would never last 8 weeks).
So you know that time close to the end of Ramadan when you have way too many dates lying around? Yeah me neither, we usually get through all our dates. Well, if you do, or you stock up and have some to spare then this date and oat cookie is perfect for you.
These cookies are fairly simple to make. You beat up the softened butter with sugar and eggs then mix in your dry ingredients and then the dates, almonds, oats and chia. If you’re an ‘eat a cookie by itself’ kinda person then these are perfect, if you’re a ‘dunk a cookie’ kinda person then even better. These cookies work both ways on their own or dunked. The crunch of the almonds work perfectly with the sweet chewiness of the dates and the oats make it feel wholesome and filling.
I’m taking these cookies to Eid Eats 2018, a virtual Eid potluck hosted by my food blogging buddies Asiya (of Chocolate and Chillies), Sarah (of Flour and Spice Blog) and Henna (of Chai and Churros). Go on over to their blogs to check out what others are bringing.
I guest posted for Lubna over at Yummy Food (kitchenflavours.net) for her event Joy from Fasting to Feasting. Joy from Fasting and Feasting brings together Muslim food bloggers around the world, a successful event in it’s 7th year.
I made Date and Almond Overnight Oats, this is so delicious, great for suhoor keeping you feeling full and nourished throughout the day. Check out the full recipe and post here or the basic recipe below.
Date and Almond Overnight Oats (serves 2)
-1 cup rolled oats
-1 1/2 cups milk (I prefer almond milk)
-4 medjool dates (pitted and chopped)
-2 tablespoons chopped almonds
In a bowl, add in oats, almonds, dates and milk. Give it a good mix and set aside for a few hours or overnight.
Do you call it muesli or granola? I’ve always said muesli. I think granola is more of an American thing. Either way, it tastes so good! You can of course buy this from the supermarket, but homemade is just as great as store bought (if not better).
It’s also a great healthy snack to have on hand, a snack that fulfills your sweet craving whilst not being too bad for you. I decided to amp up my usual muesli recipe by making it chocolate! Yum!
1/2 cup milk (best to use a non animal milk, I used oat milk)
1/3 cup oil
1/2 cup honey
Opional
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup cacao nibs
Instructions
Pre heat your oven to 160c. Place all the dry ingredients into a bowl. add in the wet ingredients and give it all a good mix. It’s best to mix it by hand, it’ll get messy but it’s worth it. Lay the mixture onto a baking paper lined tray (or 2 if you prefer) and bake. Check on the muesli every 5-10 minutes or so and give it a good toss to avoid any bits getting burnt. The muesli should be done after 30-40 minutes or until crispy. If you have the time, leave the muesli in the oven after turning it off, this will give the muesli more time to crisp up and dry.
I won a pair Bigmouth funnels in an Instagram competition. Aren’t they great? All that muesli going straight in the jar. Their new purple/pink colours inspired me to make matching food tags, pictured above. These food labels are in PDF format, all you have to do is click here and hit print.
I posted this picture on Instagram and a lot of you asked for the recipe, here it is. After adapting recipes, trying, tasting and recipe testing, I feel like I’ve come up with the perfect recipe, well to me anyway. Fluffy and moist with the perfect amount of tartness from the raspberries and sweetness from the white chocolate. This recipe does have one small problem though, it makes 10 muffins, who made a dozen a thing anyway? Why can’t we just have 10, 10’s a good number right. Let’s make 10 a thing, who’s with me? Muffins pans with 10 muffin holes, I think I’m onto something here.
I love the flavour of the Cadbury range, I use the melts chopped up, but you can use chocolate chips if that’s what you’ve got. The extra drizzle for the top is totally optional, and the muffins don’t need them but it definitely adds a little “something, something” to the taste and look.
Preheat your oven to 180c. Add all your dry ingredients into a bowl and mix lightly with a whisk. Add in the oil, vanilla essence, egg and milk. Whisk until smooth and just combined. Throw in your white chocolate and raspberries and fold in gently with a spoon.
Note: If you’re using white chocolate melts, remember to chop them up. I also crush the raspberries slightly so there’s little bursts spread throughout the muffins.
Fill each muffin hole till the top. Place in the oven for 15 mins or until lightly golden and a skewer comes out clean. Let cool in the pan. Once cooled gently remove, you may need the help of a knife to run around the sides. If you’re choosing to decorate melt the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds, fill into a ziplock bag, cut the tip off and drizzle over the top of the muffins.
As you would have noticed the other great thing I love about this recipe is that it’s all done in one bowl, you don’t even need a mixer! Easy to make, easy clean up and tasty too, doesn’t get much better than that!
I love peanut butter, do you? Peanut butter works well in so many different flavour combinations, peanut butter and chocolate, peanut butter and white chocolate, peanut butter and oreos, peanut butter and jelly, peanut butter and pretzels, peanut butter and banana, as you can see, I could go on all day with this, so I’ll stop there. If you’re a big peanut butter lover like I am, give this smoothie a try.
Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
1/2 banana
1 cup milk
1/2 tblsp chia seeds
1 tsp sweetener
1 tblsp peanut butter
Blend all the ingredients together and enjoy. This is a great snack to keep you going in between meals or bulk it up with some oats and protein powder for a fulfilling meal.
