Chocolate Love Crunch Granola Cookies

Preheat oven to 350˚F or 325˚F Convection

1. With the bag of granola closed, use a rolling pin to gently smack the bag to break up large clusters of granola into smaller clusters. Set aside.
2. Combine water, flax, brown sugar, and vanilla in a bowl. Allow to sit 10-15 minutes. Sugar does not need to dissolve.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, xanthan gum, and sea salt and set aside.
4. Combine ¼ Cup oil and ½ Cup bittersweet chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds, and stir until chocolate is melted. If not melted, microwave in 10 second increments, stirring each time, until chocolate is completely melted. Allow to cool.
5. Once chocolate/oil mixture is cool, add it all at once to bowl containing water/flax/brown sugar/vanilla and stir vigorously with a rubber spatula for at least 30 seconds until smooth.
6. Add blended dry ingredients to the above chocolate and water mixture. Stir together until dough comes together, continue stirring until smooth and evenly mixed. It will not be too thick and will look a bit like brownie batter.
7. Add in ¼ Cup chocolate chips and granola all at once, and fold in with a rubber spatula. Thoroughly mix the granola until evenly distributed throughout the batter. For a more granola-dense cookie, an additional ½ cup of granola may be added.
8. Allow dough to rest for at least 15 minutes, up to several hours, before scooping into lined trays.
9. Use a ¼ Cup ice cream scoop to scoop dough onto parchment paper or non-stick Silpat, leaving room for the cookies to spread. Pat down top of each with wet fingers. Garnish with a hint of Love Crunch granola and chocolate chunks.
10. Bake for 8-10 minutes to desired consistency. Cookies baked for 8 minutes will be softer in the middle than those baked for 10 minutes, which will be crisper.
11. Allow to cool completely before handling. Cookies will break if handled when warm. 
12. Store in an airtight container.