And now, another recipe from Good to the Grain: Cherry Hazelnut Muesli. In this version of muesli, hazelnuts and rye flakes are toasted in the oven and then mixed with dried cherries, cranberries, quinoa flakes and wheat germ. This muesli is more of a classic cold cereal than Swiss Birchermuesli, which is soaked overnight in yogurt and fresh fruit. Don’t get me wrong: this muesli would taste great with yogurt and fresh fruit; they’re just not the crux of this recipe—a simple pour of milk is all this cereal needs in the morning.

Buy dry roasted hazelnuts to simplify Step 1 in the recipe. You could also experiment using different grain flakes or dried fruit. I recommend trying the Cherry Hazelnut Rye version below before experimenting—I think you’ll agree it’s quite delicious.

Make the Cherry Hazelnut Muesli

Recipe from Good to the Grain, by Kim Boyce (p 146)

Makes 4 cups

Ingredients:

1 cup raw whole hazelnuts, skins on
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups rye flakes
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon wheat germ
½ cup quinoa flakes
Generous ? cup dried cherries [I like to use dried tart cherries]
Generous ? cup dried cranberries

1. Place the oven racks at the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Toss the hazelnuts together with the oil and salt and spread them on a baking sheet. Toast for 16 to 18 minutes, stirring the nuts halfway through. The nuts should be fragrant and dark brown, but not burnt. Leave the skins from the nuts on for a rustic touch in both taste and appearance.
2. While the nuts are toasting, spread the rye flakes in a single layer on another baking sheet. Toast the rye flakes in the same oven simultaneously for 10 minutes, until golden and crunchy. Remove from the oven and let cool.
3. Once the nuts have cooled, roughly chop them, leaving a few whole. Add them to a large bowl along with the rye flakes, ¼ cup wheat germ, and quinoa flakes.
4. Mix the cherries and cranberries with the remaining wheat germ, to prevent sticking. Chop them into halves or thirds, leaving some whole. Add them to the bowl and toss together with your hands.
5. The muesli can be eaten immediately, or you can wait until it’s completely cooled and store it in an airtight container. It will keep for at least 2 weeks.