Some people have routines so deeply ingrained that they eat the same thing every day, follow a strict schedule, and generally have their lives perfectly organized. I respect that, but it’s not for me. I need things to “sparkle” (a word I can’t stop using after listening to an episode of my favorite podcast, Hidden Brain). One morning, I might crave breakfast tacos, the next I’ll want granola, and the day after that, a giant apple fritter. Variety keeps life exciting.
Last year, I had the pleasure of working with Justine Doiron (aka @justine_snacks, the queen of beans) on the text for her cookbook, Justine Cooks, which recently hit the shelves. It was such a fun project! I adore her. She cooks in a way I aspire to: hyper-locally, with minimal meat, and plenty of bread and cheese. While collaborating, I couldn’t resist trying out some of her recipes straight from her Google Docs—though cooking from a Google Doc feels a bit tragic. Still, I made her preserved lemons, which became a kitchen staple, tiramisu-inspired cookies that were a hit at my book club, breadcrumb-crusted beans that blew my mind… and then there’s this granola.
As someone who fancies herself a bit of an Ann Arbor-style crunchy hippie, I have a soft spot for granola (see also: Birkenstocks, the Grateful Dead, and letting my lawn grow wild). But store-bought granola is so pricey that I refuse to buy it. Homemade is the way to go. Plus, I love how it looks in a jar on my counter, as if I’m the kind of person who would never, ever tilt a bag of Fritos into my mouth to savor the last crumbs. Justine’s recipe includes roasting pears, which is undeniably chic, but what really draws me in are the crispy oats, coated in an Earl Grey-infused butter that fills your home with the aroma of baking cookies. It tastes cozy and refined, like a warm hug from an English grandmother. I enjoy it with yogurt and berries or as a late-night cereal with milk.
Earl Grey Granola with Roasted Pears
by Justine Doiron
(Note from Alex: Not to go full New York Times Cooking commenter on you, but I do tweak the recipe based on what I have on hand. After making it a few times, I’ve found it’s pretty flexible. So, here’s Justine’s original recipe with my annotations in italics—take them or leave them.)
Ingredients:
8 tablespoons salted butter
2 Earl Grey tea bags (or 2 heaping teaspoons of loose-leaf tea, blitzed in a spice grinder)
3 medium Bosc pears, halved and cored
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
¼ cup flaxseed meal
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons hemp hearts (I swap this for 1 cup of pecans—I know it’s not an equal measure, but it works, okay? I love nuts.)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Diamond Crystal kosher salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
⅓ cup honey (or maple syrup!)
1 large egg white
Milk of choice, for serving
Instructions:
Equally stagger two racks in the oven and preheat it to 325°F.
Set a small pan over medium heat and add the butter. Let it fully melt, then tear open the tea bags, pour in the tea leaves, and swirl to combine. The mixture will begin to bubble slightly, so turn the heat to low and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
Place two pear halves on a sheet of aluminum foil, cut side up. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the Earl Grey butter mixture over the cut sides, and wrap them into a packet with the fold on top, making sure there are no cuts or punctures in the foil. Set them on the bottom rack of the oven to bake for 30 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, flaxseed meal, pumpkin seeds, hemp hearts (or pecans), cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon salt. Pour the remaining 5 tablespoons of the butter mixture into the bowl, add the vanilla and honey, and mix well. (If you’re skipping the pears, add all of the butter and up to ½ cup more oats if the mixture looks too saucy; you want it coated, not sopping wet!)
In a small bowl, whisk the egg white until foamy. Add it to the granola mixture and stir to coat everything evenly.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and spread the granola on it. Transfer to the top rack of the oven to bake until golden brown and dry to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes. (I stir after 15 minutes and keep a close eye on it at the 25-minute mark because my oven runs hot, and burnt granola is an expensive mistake.)
To serve, add half a pear to each bowl and top with a heaping scoop of granola and a splash of milk. Drizzle on any remaining buttery pear juice from the foil; it will dot the milk in the most satisfying way.
This recipe makes extra granola, which you can store in a cool, dry place for up to a week.
