Gingerbread & Chocolate Granola

 Oh mornings are so wonderful when you're making treats.

Some granola with thick yogurt maybe?

 I still write snail mail, especially with my super fancy stationary. 

 I may have let things get a bit out of hand. 

 Who wants dried fruit when you can have the fresh stuff with your granola?

 The recipe doesn't call for a plateful of chocolate chips; maybe it should.

 When I create this kind of magnificent spread, I basically want to kiss myself. That's how happy I get. 

 A little coffee, a little biscotti, sending a little hand-written love to someone. 

This granola is essentially dessert for breakfast, which means I have achieved greatness. 

Gingerbread & Chocolate Granola: Makes 7-10 servings 

Ingredients:

1. 5 1/2 cups rolled oats 
2. 1/3 cup maple syrup
3. 1/3 cup brown sugar 
4. 1.2 cup vegetable oil 
5. 2 tbsp honey
6. 3 tbsp cocoa powder
7. 3/4 cup chocolate chips 
8. 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
9. 1 1/4 tsp ground ginger
10. 1 tsp ground cardamom 
11. 1 tsp ground cloves
12. 1/2 tsp nutmeg
13. pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. 
2. Combine maple syrup, vegetable oil, and honey in a small bowl and set aside. 
3. Mix together rolled oats, brown sugar and cocoa powder thoroughly.
4. In a small bowl whisk together spices and then add the spices to the wet mixture. 
5. Pour the wet mixture over the oats and mix with a rubber spatula well until the oats are completely covered. 
6. Divide the oats between the two pans and spread thinly.
7. Bake for 40 minutes. Halfway through take each tray out and mix the granola around.
8. Let cook and then store for up to two weeks. Eat plain, with Greek yogurt, or almond milk.