I have been introduced to an untold number of irresistibly good things by pastry chef Sarit Packer and her chef-husband, Itamar Srulovich. Owners of Honey & Co.—the warm, tiny, Middle Eastern restaurant in central London—they are dear friends, and one of the best couples I know.
Sarit gave me a bag of her ashura cereal when I first met her, and (because I was immediately obsessed) she generously shared the recipe with me. I first wrote about it in The New York Times Magazine in 2018, and because it continues to be a very good thing in my life, I had to include it in the book, too. The cereal is like a cross between granola and Cracker Jack—with dark, shiny brown clusters of puffed wheat, almonds, pecans, and seeds. It smells like burnt honey, spring flowers, and cardamom, and is somehow simultaneously light and rich, sweet and savory, crisp and full of air. The first time I tried it, I ate nearly half the bag in one sitting!
This recipe is really perfect as is, but it’s also endlessly adaptable. You can use any combination of puffed grains totaling 160 grams. I love a fifty-fifty mix of wheat or Kamut and millet, but quinoa and corn work well, too.
Look for mahlab, sometimes spelled mahaleb, in Middle Eastern grocery stores OR find it in the Good Things Marketplace!
Sarit’s Ashura Cereal
Makes about 10 cups
2⁄3 cup (150g) neutral oil
3/4 packed cup (150g) dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons (110g) honey
5 cups (80g) puffed wheat or Kamut
4 cups (80g) puffed millet
Scant 3/4 cup (85g) pecan halves
1/2 cup (85g) almonds, very roughly chopped
1⁄3 cup (50g) pepitas
3 tablespoons (30g) toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon ground cardamom
2 teaspoons (6g) kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground mahlab, optional
Preheat oven & prep sheet pans
Adjust the oven racks to the lower-middle and upper-middle positions and preheat to 350°F. Line two sheet pans with parchment and set aside.
Cook sugar, honey & oil
In a medium saucepan, combine the oil, brown sugar, and honey and set over medium-high heat. Whisk well and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Cook until the sugar dissolves completely, there is no graininess to the texture, and small bubbles appear uniformly across the surface of the mixture, about 5 minutes. The oil won’t incorporate fully, so don’t fret if the mixture appears separated.
Combine grains & nuts
Meanwhile, in a large heatproof bowl, combine the puffed grains, pecans, almonds, pepitas, and sesame seeds and mix well.
Add spices & mix with dry ingredients
Once the honey mixture is smooth and evenly bubbling, add the cardamom, salt, cinnamon, and mahlab, if using. Stir well to incorporate the spices, then carefully pour the mixture over the dry ingredients. Working quickly, use a large silicone spatula to stir, turning the contents of the bowl over until everything is coated evenly with the syrup.
Bake cereal
Transfer the mixture to the prepared sheet pans and use the spatula to flatten out the cereal in an even layer. Place the sheet pans in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Carefully remove one sheet pan at a time and use the spatula to stir the cereal around. Switch the pans on the racks and rotate them front to back to ensure even baking. Bake until dark golden brown and well caramelized, 7 to 9 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and allow to cool entirely on the trays before breaking up the cereal into large clusters.
Serve & enjoy
Serve it as Sarit does, over yogurt with fresh berries or pomegranate seeds; or as her parents do, drowned in a bowl of milk; or simply eat it by the handful, straight from the bag, anytime you want a sweet, crunchy snack.
You can also store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, but trust me when I tell you it will never last that long!
Looks like I'll be putting this in rotation with Nekisia's Olive Oil and Sea Salt Granola that you shared in SFAH!
P.S. Austin, Texas loved having you and Hrishi at the Paramount Theatre last night. A joyful, delightful evening, and I finally have my very own, signed copy of GOOD THINGS!
Eating at their restaurant in Bloomsbury was easily one of my favorite experiences on the regular of my 2023 fall living in London.