How Do I Get Andy's Fairfield Granola To Stay In Clumps?

Our answer

NIgella's recipe for Andy's Fairfield Granola (from FEAST) has a mixture of oats, nuts, seeds and spices. It includes apple sauce, which is slightly unusual for a granola but adds some natural sweetness. Home-made granola generally has less syrup and honey added so that it is less sweet than commercial granola, but also will be slightly more crumbly.

Some people like granola in clumps and some prefer a looser mixture. If you prefer a clumpier granola then you need to make sure that you use two large baking sheets. They should be large enough that the mixture can be spread out in a very thin layer. Nigella mentions that the baking sheets should be the sort that are the width of an oven shelf. If you have a European oven then this type of baking sheet often comes as a shelf that can be inserted into the shelf runners in the oven and measures about 45.5 x 36 cm. For the US this would be a half sheet pan size that measures about 18 x 13 inches. Too much stirring will also cause the granola to break up, so stir only once and when you have stirred the granola, press it down into a compact thin layer in each baking sheet. This will help the granola to stick together more. Finally, leave the granola to cool on the baking sheets until it is completely cold. Then carefully break the granola into pieces and transfer to an airtight container, sprinkling in the raisins as you go rather than stirring them in.