Baklava Granola

Zaynab Issa is a Brooklyn-based author, recipe developer and content creator. Her debut cookbook, Third Culture Cooking, was inspired by her multicultural background, comprised of East African and Indian heritage, and borrows from both old and new flavors to create classic recipes for the next generation of cooks. One recipe that caught our eye: a Baklava Granola featuring all the good stuff — warm spices, plenty of texture and our extra-special Portland Riverfront Raw Honey (but you can easily swap in any favorite raw honey varietal).

One of the great things about being a recipe developer is that you can create things exactly as you wish they’d be. I’m not a huge fan of dried fruit in granola; I like it very crunchy and only kind of clustery—I don’t want to break my teeth on it, I don’t want it too chewy, I want to be able to taste the salt, I want deeply toasted oats, I’d like it to be nut-forward so I can get some healthy fats and protein in, and I want some spice, but not too much. Is that really too much to ask?

Introducing my ideal granola: Inspired by the flavors of baklava, this granola is heavy on the nuts, featuring a blend of walnuts and pistachios, and it gets a ton of flavor from the honey, ghee, cinnamon, and orange zest, all common ingredients in baklava varieties. You can adjust the salt and spices to your liking, and even swap some of the nuts out for seeds, but be sure to maintain the ghee to honey to mix-in (nuts and oats) ratio. If dried fruit feels like a nonnegotiable for you, I’d recommend chopped dates, chopped dried apricots, dried cherries, or dried cranberries. Stir them in just after the granola comes out of the oven.

Egg white in granola usually makes people raise an eyebrow, but it’s a tested, tried-and-true trick to ensure extra-crunchy clusters of oats.

I hesitate to suggest that people make small things that are easy to buy, but if you ask me, this are absolutely worth the effort, especially considering their yield and lasting power.

Recipe and Words by: Zaynab Issa


Makes: 8 cups (455 g)

Process

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a light-colored baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the egg white in a large bowl, tilt the bowl, and whisk until foamy and loose, about 30 seconds.

Melt the ghee in a microwave-safe liquid measuring cup for 15 seconds (the ghee should be melted but not hot). Pour any extra ghee (if there’s more than 2⁄3 cup/165 ml) back into the ghee jar. Transfer to the large bowl. Tip: Use the same measuring cup to measure the honey — the residual ghee will make it easier to pour into the bowl.

Add the honey, salt, cinnamon, and orange zest to the bowl and stir to combine. It’ll appear thickened and coagulated — that’s OK. Add the rolled oats, walnuts, and pistachios to the bowl and stir until completely combined.

Transfer to the prepared baking sheet using a spatula to form an even layer and bake for 27 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Halfway through baking, remove the pan from the oven and toss the granola to ensure even browning, encouraging the mixture back into an even layer before returning to the oven. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 400°F. Once again, toss the granola and spread it out into an even layer. Bake for 3-7 minutes more, until deep golden brown all over.

Let cool on the baking sheet for at least 40 minutes, until crisp, before touching. Break the granola into clusters with a spoon and transfer to an airtight container, where it will keep for up to 4 weeks.