Maple Pecan Granola (Rehab4)

Preparation 17mm f/1.8 1/80s ISO500
Preparation
17mm f/1.8 1/80s ISO500

Ok, today I’ve combinedย Photo101 Rehab with this recipe that I wanted to share with you. I love this granola – it’s a Martha Stewart recipe that I’ve tweaked slightly. It’s so good. I made it a few Christmases ago and bottled it for my friends and they all returned the empty bottles asking for a refill ๐Ÿ™‚

I usually eat it with unsweetened greek yoghurt and some berries or sliced banana and it makes a great snack.

The recipe is below, but I want to talk about the photos for the clinic first.

The photo with the finished product (with raspberries) is actually a batch I made last year. I took that photo with an ISO of 1600, which is really quite high. Again, this is before I really knew what I was doing or about the capabilities of my lovely camera. I think the quality of the header image (that I took today) is much better. It was taken this morning while mixing up the raw ingredients, with some good sunlight coming in the kitchen window. The toasted granola photosย were taken tonight using the available light in my kitchen.

In Lightroom, I’ve bumped the exposure up a little on the evening shots because they were still a little dark, even with the aperture wide open. I also increased contrast and clarity (as usual) ๐Ÿ™‚ ย I’ve moved the highlights up and shadows down to help separate the colours.

Ok, the recipe:

Stir together 3 cups rolled oats,ย 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans,ย 1 cup pumpkin seeds,ย 1 cup shredded coconut, a pinch of salt and 1/4 cup dark brown sugar.

Add in 1/2 cup olive oil and 3/4 cup maple syrup (I only use Canadian proper syrup!).

Stir together very well and spread on a flat tray and bake at 300F (150C), turning every 10 minutes with a metal spoon.

I usually use two trays to get a thin layer so that it cooks a bit faster. The recipe says 45 minutes, but I just toast it until it’s as brown as I like (about an hour). If you leave a corner unturned, you will get a delicious crispy bit that you can munch on while still warm – yum!!

x desleyjane


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22 responses to “Maple Pecan Granola (Rehab4)”

  1. nty6x Avatar

    Not normally a fan, but the colours make them look yum!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. desleyjane Avatar

      I have a friend who loves it but his partner calls it birdseed ๐Ÿ˜„

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Omar Upegui R. Avatar

    I know that your four thirds camera is known for razor sharp pictures, yet you mention the fact that you also post process them with Light Room. Could you share with us the highlights of LR? I’m inclined to buy the software, but have some apprehension on its complexity. Is it really that difficult to learn?

    I got a bit hungry after viewing your shots. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Cheers,

    Omar.-

    Liked by 1 person

    1. desleyjane Avatar

      Hi Omar. I generally use Lightroom to tweak the shots. The camera is great, but sometimes I need to level the image, expose it a little more if it was too dark or tweak the light slightly. Also good to watermark your images with your name and to play with different filters and effects.
      I invite you to join the rehab blogs, everyone is posting an image each day, with their notes on the photography technique they used as well as any editing they did.
      I have so far taught myslef Lightroom and I know that I don’t use it to its fullest capacity but it is quite intuitive. I believe they still have their trial version available so you can see if you like it.
      I’m glad my granola had that effect on you. It is a gift for some friends in Sydney, who I am visiting this week.
      Cheers!

      Like

      1. Omar Upegui R. Avatar

        Thank you Desley Jane for your through answer. The idea of downloading a trial version of LR is a good one. Will try it today and see how it turns out.

        I spent quite a bit of time last night reading about your camera. The more I read about it, the more I like it. It has so many great lens, it’s difficult to choose one. For example, the 12-50mm 1:3.5-6.3 EZ ED MSC lens seemed like a glittering jewel to my eyes. Both the camera and accessories are really a treasure to have. I have to buy some lottery tickets and try my luck. (Tongue-in-cheek). ๐Ÿ™‚

        How do I join the rehab blogs? I would like to participate and learn from you guys.

        Cheers!

        Omar.-

        Like

        1. desleyjane Avatar

          My pleasure Omar. I am interested to see what you think of Lightroom.
          Yes, please join us at Rehab. I’ve linked to Lucile’s blog in my most recent rehab post (rehab#5) – the instructions are all there. If you scroll through Lucile’s instructions, you will see a blue button with a frog, if you click that you can see all the posts so far where everyone has explained their techniques.
          See you soon!
          x desleyjane

          Liked by 1 person

  3. Stacy P. Fischer Avatar

    Oh yum is right!! Thanks for sharing the recipe ๐Ÿ™‚ And I’m loving your food photography!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. desleyjane Avatar

      Thanks Stacy! I’m going to be travelling this week so there might be more food photos to come!!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Stacy P. Fischer Avatar

        Bring ’em on, Desleyjane ๐Ÿ™‚

        Liked by 1 person

  4. Andy Townend Avatar

    Do you run a delivery service?
    ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Liked by 1 person

    1. desleyjane Avatar

      LOL. I’m sure something could be arranged.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. estelea Avatar
    estelea

    so mouthwatering! couldn’t even read your tech advices, so focused on reaching your recipe ๐Ÿ˜‰ looks so yummi!!!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. desleyjane Avatar

      LOL. I have to admit it’s delish and pretty easy to make!

      Like

  6. Hilary no tabi Avatar

    Sorry, dear but I must ask what a bone is doing in your granola?? ๐Ÿถ I’ve been staring and pondering and wondering and I can’t figure it out. Help! ๐Ÿ˜จ๐Ÿ˜จ๐Ÿ˜จ

    Liked by 1 person

    1. desleyjane Avatar

      Oh brilliant darling. It’s a wooden spoon.
      That’s fabulous! ๐Ÿ˜

      Like

      1. Hilary no tabi Avatar

        Really? That makes sense! ๐Ÿ˜€ Okay, on to my two cents. My preference would be to have all of the granola in focus. I find the blurring distracting (as well as the bone ;D). It’s so full of interesting textures that I’d like it all to be standing strong. (laying down strong?)

        Like

        1. desleyjane Avatar

          Laying down strong – got it! Good point , thanks ๐Ÿ™‚

          Liked by 1 person

  7. GF-Chopstix Avatar

    Looks like a lovely recipe, Desley! Too sweet for me, but then I add dried fruit to mine, so that ups the sweetness. Love your photos – so appetizing!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. desleyjane Avatar

      Thanks. It doesn’t actually taste that sweet. So what do you use instead of traditional oats?

      Liked by 1 person

      1. GF-Chopstix Avatar

        I use imported maize flakes – those are the large pieces in the photo. There are gluten-free oats available, but unfortunately, I’m one of those who cannot tolerate them either.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. desleyjane Avatar

          I was wondering what they were. I’ve never seen them before.

          Liked by 1 person

I’d love to hear from you!