Fruit mince muesli (granola) - using Christmas leftovers

Since I started blogging I have found some favourite recipes.  Occasionally they merge together in a wonderful way that means I can have whisky for breakfast.  I jest but seriously I did find that putting my fruit mince into muesli was delicious but I found the whiff of whisky in the morning just a bit much.  I was glad it settled after some time.

My breakfasts go in cycles.  After lots of peanut butter on toast each morning, I started buying muesli and fruit yoghurt to have instead.  Then I read about Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs) and decided it was time to make my own muesli again.  As an aside on UPFs, I find the idea useful for convincing myself not to be tempted by new flavours in the supermarket (sometimes) but this article "beware the mix of food and fear" talks about the complexity of demonising UPFs so we should be wary about hard and fast rules on what we eat.

I experimented with a muesli recipe that I loved: Tahini, quinoa and apricot toasted muesli.  I really love the way that the tahini and maple syrup mixture looks a bit like caramel.  (The above photo is a bit darker than usual as I was experimenting with adding some Vegemite but decided against doing it again.)

Muesli is great for using up bits and piece.  I like using different dried fruit.  The first time I used dried apricots, cranberries, strawberries and goji berries.  The next time I added peaches, cranberries and used up the rest of fruit mince from the previous Christmas.  In the past I have tried lots of ways to use up fruit mince but really liked this one.

My fruit mince recipe (below) is based on one from the Vegetarian Society (UK) website and a recipe from the venerated British vegetarian cookbook author Rose Eliot.  Since first making it fifteen years ago I have made it most years .  One reason to make my own is that a lot of fruit mince has suet in it.  This recipe uses no fat and is only sweetened by fruit. It is quite thick but I love it.  And I like the white dots of banana that remind me of the little chunks of suet I am used to seeing in fruit mince.

I have been so happy with this muesli.  I thought that the fruit mince would save time in not having to chop all the dried fruit.  It didn't save much time because I had to mix the muesli a lot to get the fruit mince mixed in and break up the clumps.  Any other fruit mince will do and some have a bit more liquid than mine.  I considered baking the muesli another few minutes to dry it out and think this would work if I do it another time.  Of course this recipe also works with dried fruit instead of fruit mince.

My favourite way to eat this muesli is with fresh fruit and plain yoghurt.  I originally thought I needed some honey but don't always do that now.  It is a great way to eat my fresh fruit, especially at this time of year when there is so much wonderful stone fruit and berries on offer.

The fruit mince muesli is not overly sweet but I like it.  It is a great way to use up leftover fruit mince and extend that festive feeling.  I always have leftovers hanging around after Christmas.  It is great for mince tarts or fruit bread.  In fact I have used it in hot cross buns over a few years because I usually have some left at Easter.  Not this year! 

More muesli recipes on Green Gourmet Giraffe blog:
Applesauce muesli (granola) (v)
Banana and maca muesli (granola) (v)
Chocolate muesli (granola) (v)
Microwave muesli (v)
Tahini, quinoa and apricot toasted muesli (v)

Other recipes to use fruit mince on Green Gourmet Giraffe blog:
Chocolate mince tarts
Chocolate panforte
Fruit mince flapjacks (v) 
Fruit mince muffins
Fruit mince scrolls (v)
Fruit mince sourdough bread rolls (v)
Sourdough hot cross buns with fruit mince  

Fruit Mince Muesli (granola)
Adapted from Green Gourmet Giraffe

4 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
3/4 cup seeds (I used a mix of sesame, sunflower, linseed and pumpkin)
1/2 cup quinoa flakes 
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup rice bran oil (or other neutral oil)
1 cup fruit mince (see below recipe)

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Lightly whisk together maple syrup, tahini, oil, vegemite and smoked paprika in a large jug until smooth and thickened like caramel.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until well mixed.  Tip into two large lined roasting tins.  Bake at 180 for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through.  Add fruit mince and mix well, using a spoon to break the dried fruit clumps up as much as possible.  Leave to cool.  Store in an airtight container.

Fig and Walnut Fruit Mince
Adapted from The Vegetarian Society / Rose Elliot
Makes enough for 36 mince tarts, scant 4 cups (1 cup = about 275g)

250g dried figs, chopped
400g chopped dried fruit (I like to use apricots/peaches, sultanas, cranberries and prunes)
50g fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
50g walnuts, roughly chopped
4 tbsp whisky
1/2 tsp mixed spice
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
juice and zest of an orange
3 tbsp water
1 ripe banana, peeled and mashed

Place all ingredients except banana into a large saucepan and stir over a low to medium heat for 5-10 minutes until the mixture is heated through and melding together. Stand for 1-2 hours to cool and then stir in banana. It is ready to use or can be kept in the fridge. I have kept mine in the fridge for 10-11 months. 

NOTES: I usually use glace or dried ginger in fruit mince but I want to try the fresh ginger options next year.

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