This is my all-time favorite granola - it's super crunchy, and the flavor of the olive oil and the salt make it just a little sweet-savory. You can adapt this in lots of ways: use whatever nuts and dried fruit you like, or leave out the dried fruit. Unsweetened coconut flakes (the large kind) are delicious, too; my husband is coconut-averse though, so we usually leave that out. This recipe doubles easily for a larger batch.

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OLIVE OIL GRANOLA

• 1 3/4 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 cups cashews (or other kind of nut)
• 2/3 cups pumpkin seeds
• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup dried cherries (or other dried fruit; optional)

Preheat the oven to 300°F. In a large bowl, stir together the rolled oats, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, brown sugar, and salt. Add the maple syrup and olive oil, and stir. Spread on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes, then give it a good stir. Do this twice more (so the granola bakes for a total of 45 minutes), or until it's golden brown and toasted. Let cool, and then stir in dried fruit, if using.

Makes 3 1/2 cups

I'm not huge on Valentine's Day gifts, but I do always love picking out special things for the people I love. Here are my ideas for some special gifts for friends, significant others, or anyone else who could use a little love. All the sources are in the links below!

1. Great pear card  2. Beautiful earrings  3. Lovely candle  4. Bud vase (plus flowers!)  5. My favorite perfume oil (no. 4)  6. A wonderful book (I couldn't put this down)  7. Key ring  8. Photo holder & photo set (order by Monday for Valentine's Day)  9. Beautiful planter (plus a plant!)  10. Pottery mugs (buy a pair)  11. Pretty chocolate bar  12. A love note to go with it

These brownies are definitely special. They're a bit of a project, but you can make the caramel ahead if you like and refrigerate it until you're ready to make brownies. The caramel in them is pretty subtle - it's just a thin layer in the middle of the brownie, and that's what makes these so delicious. You almost can't tell it's there, it just makes for a delicious brownie. I would also be sure to use the sugar and salt on top - it makes them deliciously crunchy and the salt is perfect. The recipe is adapted from the Baked Explorations cookbook. Go make brownies. Yum.

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SALTY CARAMEL BROWNIES

For the caramel:

• 1/2 cup (100 grams) white sugar
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon flaky salt
• 2 tablespoons sour cream

For the brownies:

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (75 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon (6 grams) dark unsweetened cocoa powder
• 5 1/2 ounces (156 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I use 70% dark chocolate)
• 1/2 cup (1 stick/113 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup (150 grams) white sugar
• 1/4 cup (53 grams) brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons or so coarse sugar (or regular white sugar) for sprinkling
• 1 teaspoon or so flaky sea salt for sprinkling

First, make the caramel: Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally and trying not to splash the sides of the pan too much. After 10 or 15 minutes, the sugar will start to brown - watch carefully, and take the caramel off the heat as soon as it's a deep amber color. (If you want to use a candy thermometer, this is about 350℉, but I usually just go by appearance.) Stir in the cream, and be careful - it will bubble up a little. Mix in the salt and sour cream, stirring until all the sour cream is melted in.

Next, make brownies: Preheat the oven to 350℉; butter an 8" x 8" pan and line with a strip of parchment for easy removal. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. In a mixing bowl set over boiling water, melt the butter and chocolate together until smooth. Remove the bowl from the boiling water, and stir in both sugars. Stir in vanilla. The mixture shouldn't be too hot anymore; a little warm is ok, but if it still feels hot, let it cool for a few minutes. Add in the eggs and egg yolk. Last, mix in the flour/cocoa mixture, and be sure not to over mix at this point. 

Pour half of the brownie batter into the bottom of the pan. Next, pour the caramel over - you want just a very thin layer over the batter, leaving about a 1/2" border around the edge. I find that a little more than 1/4 cup or so is just about right. You want to avoid going out to the very edges, because it tends to squish out and can burn. Dollop the remaining brownie batter over the top, and spread with a spatula to even it out and cover the caramel. Bake for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. As soon as the brownies come out of the oven, sprinkle with a healthy layer of sugar, and the coarse sea salt. Let them cool fully before cutting.

Hooray!  Happy new year, and happy new cards! We have a bunch of new cards up on the site now, including some new categories like get well and engagement congratulations.  Check out all the new cards right here.