As part of the Fox & Bear christmas celebrations this year, I decided to try my hand at muesli making to give as a small gift to family & friends, as well as serve at the inaugural FTTB Presents - Christmas Day Breakfast event. I read a few different methods on how to make muesli, then went with a flavour combination I felt was delicious & festive enough to be a bit special, as well as nutritious enough to eat on an ordinary day. After 6 kilos of burnt oats, and one very frustrated boyfriend demanding I surrender the kitchen I finally perfected my Toasty Maple, Almond & Fig Muesli recipe, that is vegan-friendly.
The first batch got eaten within 2 days, and had my extended family begging for more, so an impromptu muesli baking class was held. It's so simple once you get the hang of it, and this recipe is versatile enough that you can chop and change the grains, fruits & nuts to make your own signature combination. This recipe makes enough muesli for a few big jars full - feel free to 1/3 it if you are after a single smaller batch. It will keep for 3 - 4 weeks in well sealed glass jars.
2 x cups raw almonds
2 x cups dried figs
1 x cup dried sultanas
1 x cup proper maple syrup (split in 1/4 cup & 3/4 cup)
1 x tsp cinnamon
1/2 x tsp nutmeg
1 x tsp vanilla bean paste
3 x cups puffed quinoa (puffed millet or amaranth works well too - if unavailable just use extra oats)
6 x cups rolled oats (spelt or wheat)
2 x cups water
1/2 cup pepitas
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup linseeds
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. On a baking tray lined with baking paper, spread out the almonds evenly. Coat the almonds in 1/4 cup of the maple syrup and make sure they are all covered. Roast the almonds in the oven for 15 minutes, turning halfway. Remove the almonds from the oven, and using a spatular separate them from each other. Leave aside to cool.
In a small pot over a low heat, combine the remaining maple syrup, water, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir well until warm. In a big bowl, combine the oats, puffed quinoa, pepitas, sunflower seeds, chia seeds and linseeds. Line 3 large baking trays with baking paper. Evenly spread the oat mix out over the trays. Spoon the maple syrup mixture over the oats evenly. Use your hands to combine the oats with the syrup, in a sort of clumping motion! This may get a little messy, but it is neccesary to make sure all the oats are dampened.
Spread the mixture out over the trays evenly again, Leave some oats in clumps - these chunky bits will be delicious. Roast these trays one at a time in the oven for 10 minutes, then turn over the oats and roast for another 10 minutes. After roasting set aside the oats until completely cool.
Whilst the oats are roasting, chop all the figs & sultanas into small bite sized chunks. After everything has cooled down, combine the maple roasted almonds, toasted oats, figs & sultanas in a big bowl. Dish up the muesli into glass jars for storage. Label with a cute DIY gift tag. Serve the muesli with fresh seasonal fruits and yogurt or almond milk.
I can't wait to try some more combinations! Let me know what flavours you come up with :)
xx Bear
