Granola…Pont Neuf style

What better way to end summer than to pay tribute to two of Autumn’s greatest flavors: apple and cinnamon- allow them to bring back comforting memories of apple and cinnamon tart, served warm with cream or vanilla ice cream…. Phenomenal! What about a substitute that is as delicious, but healthy? You no longer need to seek satisfaction from guilty pleasures… all you need is a bit of knowledge and effort to recreate a healthy alternative. So save the energy for your effort because I am about to provide you with the complete knowledge and ‘science’ of how to make a nutritionally balanced apple, date and cinnamon granola.

Apple, date and cinnamon granola

Ingredients

2-3 fresh apples
3 tbsp. dark agave nectar
5 tbsp. walnut oil
180 g organic porridge oats
25 g chopped dates
2 tsp. cinnamon

Agave is so special, it deserves an article in its own right. It is a sugar alternative that keeps blood sugar level in check and yet it is 3 times as sweet as regular sugar. Enjoy the sweet ride!

Cinnamon. Besides its divine flavor, there is a lot more going for the cinnamon. It is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and regulates blood sugar level

Dates. Absolute sugar heaven, but keep a heart healthy, blood sugar level low and eliminate LDL cholesterol. Not bad!

Oats. Guess what? Keep a heart healthy and eliminate LDL cholesterol- notice a pattern here? This recipe is indeed a science…

Apple. One apple a day keeps the doctor away, what more to say? J

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 C
Bake the apples for around 40 min (depending on the type and the size, apples can even take up to hour to turn into mushy consistency)
Cool, peel and blend apples
Preheat the walnut oil and the agave nectar into a pan. Pour oats, chopped dates, cinnamon and blended apples into the pan. Mix well
Spread consistency into a rectangular container and bake for 25-30 min on 180 C
Cool, cut into equal rectangular shape- ideally 6 pieces
Arrange into ‘Pont Neuf style’, decorate with mini- banana slices