So where it reads:
Pour hot liquid over oat mixture; stir well. Using hands, toss mixture until thoroughly mixed.
We poured the hot liquid over the oats, stirred well, then threw in a handful of cold chocolate chips and mixed gently a tiny bit more. And then I clumped the granola together a bit.
The chips got kind of melty in the oven but because we didn't mix them around with the warm liquid, they stayed put and didn't ooze or get very melty. When they came out I didn't touch them and they cooled back into chunks of chocolate -- not all chip shape perse but not all over the place.