Figs and nuts toasted muesli

If you want to control what goes into your toasted muesli (and also half the price of the supermarket box), you can make your own.  It does not require specific equipment: an oven and a small food processor, a chopping board and a knife.  You can even do without the food processor.

This recipe uses some dry fruits and nuts.  Feel free to adapt the ingredients, for example you may want more nuts of various kinds and no dry fruits, or you may substitute the apricots with shredded coconut.  I did not write down my first attempt to toasted muesli, it was a lot of nuts, chia seeds and coconut.  One guiding rule: use (based on weight) round 60% weight of rolled oats. Commercial toasted muesli are most often 80% rolled oats.

Ingredients:

• 750 g rolled oats
• 150 g dry apricots
• 150 g dry figs
• 150 g pepitas
• 150 g hazelnuts
• 150 g raw macadamia
• 1/4 cup olive oil (use any good vegetable oil of your choice)
• 1/4 cup of liquid honey
• 1/2 tsp salt

Method:

1. With a large knife, cut the figs in strips and the apricots in small pieces up to 5 mm long
2. Place the nuts (macadamia and hazelnuts) in a small food processor and blend to reach small to medium size. For example, you want each hazelnut cut at least in two and each macadamia at least in four.  I find that there will be some full nuts left and I will cut those with the knife on the chopping board.  There may be a few whole nuts left, that’s all right.
3. In a large baking tray, place all dry ingredients, roughly mix.
4. Put the honey and oil in a small bowl, heat up 15 seconds in the microwave and pour over the mix.  Using your hands, coat all the ingredients as much as you can.
5. Then bake on 180-200°C. After 10 minutes, use a fork to move the muesli around. Repeat every 10 minutes until toasted.
6. Once cooled down, transfer in a storage jar .