Pesach lasts just one short week, but judging by people's panicked response, you'd think we were condemned to spend another 40 years wandering in the wilderness.
Seeing our pre-Pesach hysteria, savvy food manufacturers have made sure to cater to virtually our every Pesach whim, and the range of kosher-for-Pesach cakes, cookies, crackers and even bread rolls and pasta, continues to grow every year.
Where there is a gap in this highly lucrative market, however, is when it comes to breakfast cereals.
Kitniyot-eaters usually have a selection of (highly processed) kosher-for Pesach options, but non-kitniyot eaters are forced to start every day on nothing more than French-fried matza and chremsel.
(We eat so many eggs over this week that it's surprising we don't sprout feathers.)
Fortunately, there is a way to make kosher-for-Pesach, kitniyot-free granola so tasty that you'll find yourself reaching for it even when Pesach is over.
Packed full of dried fruit 'n' nuts, it contains added fiber, helping combat the dreaded Pesach tummy.
As it's beautifully decorative when packaged in a glass jar, it also makes a great hostess-gift, meaning both your breakfast and gift-giving dilemmas are over.
Make a copy of this recipe and store it somewhere safe.
It's one you'll surely treasure for a lifetime of Pesachs to come.
FRUIT 'N' NUT MATZA GRANOLA
Ingredients
6 to 7 cups crumbled matza
1 cup slivered almonds/natural almonds
1 cup chopped pecan nuts/walnuts
½ cup coconut shavings
90 grams butter/margarine* (kitniyot-free)
1/2 cup honey/silan (kitniyot-free)
½ teaspoon coarse salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup dried fruit**
*1/3 cup coconut or olive oil can be used in place of butter/margarine.
**Dried fruit can include raisins, cranberries, chopped apricot, banana chips, slivered dates, chopped figs, chopped prunes etc.
Method
1: Mix crumbled matza, nuts and coconut shards together, spread over a baking sheet, and bake at 170 C for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to toast all sides.
2: Place butter, honey, and cinnamon in a small pot and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally till completely melted and well combined.
3: Transfer toasted matza/nut mixture to a large bowl, add the butter mixture, and mix thoroughly to coat well.
4: Line a baking tray with parchment paper, pour in toasted matza mixture, and bake at 170 C for 15 minutes, stirring regularly to toast through.
5: Stir in dried fruit when cool, add salt, and store in an air-tight container for up to 10 days.