In case you haven’t already guessed, I love Christmas. As in LO-O-OVE it.

As far as I’m concerned, December is all about packing in as much of the festive spirit as possible.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and every meal inbetween is basically one long succession of warm, spicy, festive goodness.

This Christmas granola is no exception.

Full of crunchy, nutty, fruity goodness, it’s as festive as the smell of pine trees and the taste of the season’s first mince pie.

It’s packed full of Christmas spices, and the maple syrup gives it a lovely crunch without the overly-sweet taste of most granolas.

This Christmas granola the perfect thing to have in the cupboard to keep the festive spirit alive from breakfast onward.

If you are hosting people over the festive period, make an extra-big batch so your guests can help themselves to brekkie even if you’re still in bed.

Presented in Kilner jars decorated with pretty ribbons and handmade labels, it also makes for a great gift.

Oh, it’s the quickest way to make the whole house smell like Christmas. Win-win-win!

Christmas Granola (for one big batch, about 6/8 servings)

Ingredients:

• 200g rolled oats
• 50ml maple syrup
• zest of 1 organic orange
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
• big handful almonds
• small handful walnuts
• handful raisins
• handful dried cranberries
• 1 tbsp chopped dried apricots

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180°C (gas mark 6).

2. Using a mortar & pestle or a big knife, roughly chop the nuts.

3. In a big bowl, mix together the oats, nuts, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange zest. Pour in the maple syrup and mix until it just about gets together (add a bit of water if necessary).

4. Place the mix onto a big oven tray and bake for about 20 min or until golden.

5. Sprinkle the dried fruit on top and let it cool completely before transfering into an air-tight container.