Healthy? Granola! - rolled oats

Method

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees gas mark 4
• Using a medium sized pan - Melt butter, sugar and honey on a medium heat until bubbling but not browning
• Whilst waiting for the butter mix, chop the nectarine into small cubes
• Add oats to the pan and stir until covered
• Lightly stir in the nectarine pieces (you don't want them to get crushed)
• Pour all of it onto a baking sheet covered with greaseproof paper
• Spread out but don't crush it down too far as you want some larger lumps.
• Put in the oven on a middle shelf and bake for 20 minutes
• Remove from oven and allow to cool on the tray.
• Remove any bits that may have over-browned so far as to be one step away from blackened - these add a bitter edge, although the chickens love them!
• Transfer the baked oats and nectarine to a large bowl and add your dried fruit, nuts and seeds - you can also add some sugar at this stage if you've only used nuts or you like sweet things
• Your granola is now finished.
• Keep in an airtight container.
• You can make smaller quantities if you wish but I wouldn't advise making more as granola will only keep fresh a few days (especially if you're using fresh fruit)
• Have it as cereal with milk.
• Sprinkled on top of porridge or mixed with yoghurt and banana for a lovely healthy lunch.
• Lastly, leave out the fresh fruit add another 1/4 cup butter, add plump dried fruits when the mix is still warm from the oven and press the mixture into a pie tin or a glass serving dish.
• Mix together an 8 oz pack of cream cheese, 1/4 cup of sugar, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
• Spread on top of the pressed granola and put back into the oven for 12 minutes, remove, leave to cool then refrigerate for at least 2 hours - cut into squares or serve straight from dish - this is my higgledy piggledy cheesecake