Happy trails!

This recipe for my fat-free granola mix started out as a quest to discover the perfect low-in-propoints crumble alternative. There was one disastrous effort involving ground tortilla wraps that is probably best not mentioning (if only my family would stop making running jokes about it, I might have a chance to forget it...). Since that attempt, I've mostly given up, and on the rare occasion that I do make a crumble I just stick to the fruit filling.

Over the weekend I had a sudden brainwave however, and after Googling granola recipes, tweaked one to get it just right. Propoints-wise it works out the same as porridge oats (ie 1pp per 10g). And sprinkled over stewed fruit with a bit of custard, it's a heavenly dessert!

For those more concerned with overall health than their waistlines, it also makes an excellent trail mix or breakfast cereal when mixed with a variety of different 'toppings' - in the picture below I've added pumpkin and sunflower seeds, sultanas, cranberries, pistachio nuts and honeyed cashews. Chopped apricot or dried banana slices also go very nicely.

INGREDIENTS

150g good quality jumbo porridge oats (I use Tesco Finest)
20g runny honey
60ml water
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Splenda or sugar to taste (I used 1 tsp splenda)

Preheat your oven to 240'c. Whisk the honey, water, vanilla  and sweetener together and mix with the oats until they are thoroughly coated. Spread out on a baking tray and bake for approximately 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown and toasted. Check and stir the granola every 5 minutes as it burns quickly. Once cool, pour into an airtight container.