We started making our own granola cereal to add local ingredients like macadamia nuts, farm honey and coconut. Too many store-bought granola cereals contain GMO oils like Canola or contain refined sugar. This delicious recipe is a great way to use ingredients from the land.
We gather our macadamia nuts about twice a year. This requires waiting until they drop, picking them up and letting them air dry. The husk soon splits and the hard woody nut case can be seen. Peel the husk off and then let the nut air dry some more. You can use the husks in your compost or as a mulch for your garden.
To crack the nut, you must use a cracker specifically for these hard nuts. They vary in price and usually are worth the extra price.
Make sure you remove the nut without taking any of the hard woody shell with it. About 1-1/2 cups will do for this recipe. You don’t have to roast them ahead of time and can use them raw. They will roast in the cooking process of the granola. Give them a rough chop so that there are big nut chunks.
To prepare the shredded coconut, find a nice brown nut. The older the nut the more sweet the meat will be.
Remove the white meat from the nut and grate with a regular cheese grater. You do not need to remove the thin, brown skin from the nut.
To toast it, place the shredded coconut on a shallow cooking pan in a fine layer. Roast low about 275 degrees and stir every 5-7 minutes to allow a nice even cooking. When it starts to dry and turn a golden color remove and cool.
To make Tasha’s Granola, you will need the following ingredients:
- 4 cups rolled organic oats
- 1-1/2 cups roughly chopped macadamia nuts
- 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
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- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil (or macadamia nut oil) –You can find both at Localvore in Pahoa.
- 1/2 cup of raw honey
- 3 T of maple syrup
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- 1/2 cup dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, mango, goji, blueberries)
Mix first five ingredients in a large bowl. Melt next three ingredients together in a sauce pan. Pour melted mixture over oat mixture and stir well to coat. I sometimes add cinnamon powder and sea salt to the mix. Transfer to a large baking sheet, in a layer not more than 1/2″ thick (cast iron works best). Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring every 5 minutes or so until it dries out and turns very light golden. Transfer back into the bowl to stop cooking and stir in dried fruit. Cool completely, then store in airtight container.