Easy Vegan Homemade Granola!

I have said it before in several of my posts: breakfast was, is and will always be my favorite meal of the day. I have to admit that sometimes it becomes an obsession as I start thinking of tomorrow´s breakfast while preparing today's!

From heavy, calorie-loaded and greasy breakfasts to really light and healthy options. Healthy does not mean stale and boring in my book. Healthy meals can and should be utterly delicious, I mean think about it, how can a meal be delicious if you need to force yourself to eat it.

Speaking of healthy food, homemade granola is not only tasty but also full of essential nutrients, fiber and iron from oats  and essential fats thanks to all the nuts it has. When you make it at home you can control the amount of sugar to cut down the calories.

Oats are always present in my pantry along with nuts and many vegan butters, so when I´m craving for a good snack I make me some granola. As a bonus, the house smells wonderful whenever I bake granola.

Here´s my easy and vegan granola recipe:
         Dry ingredients:

• 150 g whole grain flat oats
• 115 g raw mixed nuts (I used 40 g almonds and the rest was a mix of walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts and cashews)
• 15 g brown sugar
• 30 g grated coconuts
• 20 g dried cranberries
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon

       Wet ingredients

• 30 g apple butter (preferably homemade)
• 30 maple syrup (or honey)
• 15 g melted coconut oil (or an other vegetable oil)
• 15 g of tahini (sesame paste)
• 15 g of peanut butter (you can substitute the tahini for an additional 15 of peanut butter)
• 1 to 2 tsp vanilla paste or extract

First start by preheating your oven to 150 C.

In a big bowl combine all the dry ingredients and mix well. In another bowl, combine all the wet ingredients (you may need to start with the peanut butter and heat it a bit in the microwave) and now all you need is to coat the dry ingredients with the wet ones.

On a tray covered with parchment paper, spread the granola into a thin layer and bake for about 40 min, making sure to mix every 10 to 15 min as the edges tend to dry before the center. 

Once they are all golden brown, take them out of the oven and let them cool. Fill the granola in a glass jar and enjoy. It keeps well for about a week or so!

I usually have granola with some yogurt and fruits, but I've had them with coffee, mixed with unsweetened cream, as a crunchy topping to vanilla ice cream scoops...The options are endless, so be creative and enjoy delicious and nutritious homemade vegan granola. 

Autumnal Apple, Pumpkin and Walnut Cake

It has become a habit of mine to post a recipe or two around this time of the year featuring pumpkin purée as a main ingredient. Pumpkins are brilliant, versatile, delicious and very healthy. In baking pumpkins do wonders to the texture of cakes and of course add subtle, autumnal and  comforting flavors; flavors that keep you coming back for more.  Pair this ingredient with the smooth and wonderfully spiced apple butter, sprinkle in some walnuts and you're in for a superb autumnal cake that will surely please everyone!

The recipe is perfect for less a gory Halloween celebration or for a sweet finish to your next thanksgiving dinner but it's also perfect for any rainy day when all you want to do is just cuddle under your blanket, drink tea and enjoy a sweet piece of moist  and delicious cake with a soft and creamy frosting. Sounds perfect, right?

Let´s start baking then.

For the cake (6 to 8 persons) you need :

• 3 eggs at room temperature
• 210 g brown sugar
• 150 browned butter (the French call it beurre noisette)
• 9 g baking powder
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 210 g cake flour
• 115 pumpkin purée
• 115 apple butter
• 100 g lightly toasted and roughly ground walnuts (leave some big chunks if you like)
• 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp mixed spices (cloves, star anise, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg)
• dash of salt

Start by combining the flour, walnuts, baking powder, salt and spices and set aside.

In your mixing bowl beat the eggs on a high speed and add the sugar, when the mixture triples in volume and becomes pale and thicker add the browned butter at low speed and mix until combined.

With a spatula add the pumpkin purée, the apple butter and the maple syrup, mix again and lastly fold the flour mixture.

Pour the batter in three 15cm pre-prepared pans (or in two 23cm) and bake in a preheated oven (175C) for 25 minutes. Remember that the baking time might vary so check on the cake after 20 minutes.

For the frosting you need:

• 250 g soft butter
• 250 g cream cheese at room temperature
• 220 g powdered sugar
• flavoring: 1 tsp maple syrup, 1/4 tsp mixed spice or just use vanilla essence.

Combine all ingredients and beat for about 5 min until creamy and fluffy.

Assembly:

Smear some frosting on your cake tray or stand. Put the first cake layer and pipe a generous amount of frosting. Add the second layer and repeat with the second and third layer. Cover the last layer with the frosting. 

I decorated the cake with marzipan apples, pumpkins, acorns and leaves and colored the frosting to go along with the painted fruits and leaves.

Do take some time to make this cake and I´m sure you will like it.

Finally I wish everyone a Happy Halloween.

For more pumpkin recipes click here, here and here.