Chocolate and Peanut Butter Granola

When I was in college, I ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch almost everyday.  I was a peanut butter and jelly connoisseur.  

I had perfected the peanut butter to jelly ratio.  I preferred smoothy peanut butter and jam with pieces of soft, macerated fruit.  

I used a substantial bread with lots of fiber.  I liked a hearty bread that could hold up to the copious amounts of jam and peanut butter I smothered on my sandwiches.

When I was feeling fancy, I would grill my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  The jam and peanut butter would become gooey and warm.  

I still enjoy the occasional peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but I am no longer willing to eat the same food for months on end. 

I have recently been trying to spice of my breakfast foods.  Granola is great because you can make a big batch because it has a long shelf life.

The original recipe came from Mark Bitterman.  I added cocoa powder and peanut butter.

The ingredients are 3 cups rolled oats, 1 cup cashews, 1/4 cup peanut butter, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1/3 cup honey, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 cup dried berry blend.  The dried berry blend I used had raisins, cherries, cranberries, and blueberries.  

I combined the oats, cashews, salt, cinnamon, and cocoa powder.

In another container, I combined the peanut butter and honey.

I poured this over the oat mixture and stirred until the oats were coated.

I baked this in a thin layer at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  I stirred every ten minutes.

After removing the granola from the oven, I added the dried berries and stirred.  I let the granola cool until room temperature.

I stored the granola at room temperature in an airtight container.

I ate this granola with milk, fruit, and greek yogurt. It would be great as a topping to frozen yogurt too.

The texture was perfect.  There were gobs and finer bits of crunchy oats.

I added more dried fruit than directed, and I'm glad I did.  They added softness and sweetness.

The peanut butter taste was too subtle.  It might have been because the cocoa overpowered it.  Overall, it wasn't sweet, but I ate it with fresh fruit so it didn't need to be sweet.

When I removed it from the oven it smelled burnt.  It didn't taste burnt, but I would bake it at a lower temperature.

It was good.  It wasn't the best granola I have ever eaten or made, but it was a solid recipe nonetheless.