Are you guilty of skipping the common recipe directive to freshly grind spices like nutmeg, coriander, and the subject at hand: cardamom? Sure, it tacks on time to your recipe prep, but the results are more than worth the minimal time and effort. As soon as spices are ground (often months earlier, if buying preground spices), aroma and flavor begins to dissipate; wait a year to use your spice stash, and you'll be working with what's essentially lightly scented dust. Instead, make the extra effort; trust us, you'll be a freshly ground convert once you taste the difference.
This holiday season, skip the scented candles, and concoct an air freshener that serves double duty: warmly spiced maple pecan granola. 
As its exotic yet comforting perfume wafts from the oven, rest easy knowing that you're simultaneously setting yourself up for a week of enticing and low-fuss breakfasts (just add Greek yogurt), with plenty of granola on hand for snacks, or even jazzing up a bowl of store-bought ice cream.
If I had to pick a desert island dessert, these very well may be it. Two perennial favorites (chai tea and caramel) combine for a sweet that is both over-the-top decadent and comforting at the same time. Chewy, well-spiced, and sweet, but never cloying (thanks to a heavy-handed dusting of fleur de sel), these are easily the best thing to come out of my prolific kitchen in months.
Yes, making caramels is a time-intensive proposition, but with this recipe, it's a near foolproof procedure, provided you use a 
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After a long 
