I’ve recently teamed up with the lovely people at Linwoods to create a series of delicious, festive recipes! Starting off with crunchy, sweet coconut and cranberry granola. I absolutely love making granola t any time of year, but I think there’s something a little extra special about baking at Christmas time. The smell of freshly baked granola wafting through the kitchen is just one of the best smells ever in my opinion. There’s nothing better than coming home out of the cold, to a warm cosy house, with the smell of baking wafting through the hallway. I write this as I’m currently sitting here huddled on the sofa in a blanket.. and there are absolutely no baked goods in sight. In fact, I’m sat snacking on a bowl of cucumber slices. Trying to get those macronutrients in today after a weekend consisting of 80% popcorn consumption and also a pretty generous amount of roast potatoes and dark chocolate.
Speaking of the festive season, whilst this is my absolute favourite time of year and there are so may fun and Christmassy events going on.. its also without a doubt, my busiest time of the year and this week alone, I have three events; as well as the fact that I should possibly make a dent in my Christmas shopping. (FYI I haven’t bought a single thing yet) With that being said, for those super busy times when we’re always rushing around, it’s good to have lots of healthy food ready and prepped on hand so that you don’t have to spend ages in the kitchen!
This is a mixture of lots of my favourite things including: oats, pecans and coconut! You know me.. I think that coconut could pair with pretty much anything really. It’s such a nice addition to granola, as it adds a gently hint of sweetness and light and crunchy texture! Now for that festive twist, I’ve added in some dried cranberries which give a delicious burst of sweetness with each mouthful.. as well as a pretty pop of ruby red colour in there too!
Now, for something that I don’t usually add into my granola, but something that I will definitely be continuing to include: ground Flaxseed. As I mentioned, the blend that I’ve used here is from Linwoods and it’s their milled flaxseed with Bio Cultures and Vitamin D- seeing as it’s Winter here in the UK, I feel that Vitamin D isn’t something that my body isn’t currently receiving liberal supplies of! They have so many different blend combinations and I think they’re so great for adding into dishes like: cereals, porridge, smoothies and also baking. They have a slightly nutty undertone and can be sprinkled over meals to add an extra boost of fibre and nutrients with very little fuss! I’ve been using these literally for years, as they’re something that my mum would always buy to add to my cereal and porridge as a child. I think it’s so cool that I’m now able to partner with a brand that I’ve loved for such a long time and share this super tasty breakfast recipe with you all!
