I am not at my best to entertain first thing in the morning. The idea of brunch party is so appealing because it is such a wonderful excuse to serve many of my favourite food (multiple dessert! eggs!). Yet when it comes to execution, I am far from my efficient self at that hour. What to do if I would like to prepare a special breakfast for guests? Make-ahead dishes are my trusty allies. Certainly I’m not talking about serving leftovers! I’m thinking of dishes that I can do most assembly the night before and simply finish the cooking in the morning with minimal supervision. All so that I can attend to the important task of making morning coffee, of course. Baked french toast, stratas, breakfast casserole are reliable standbys in my brunch menu. Thanks to Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Every Day, I can now add Baked Oatmeal to my list.
I love oatmeal but hovering over the stove stirring and stirring is not my idea of fun when I’m still trying hard to wake my body from slumber. My favourite way to enjoy oatmeal is to enrich the porridge with condensed milk. Milk and sugar all in one! However, if I want to treat guests to something special, this Baked Oatmeal is absolutely perfect. A layer of ripe banana slices lines the bottom of baking dish. On top of it, oatmeal enriched with milk, eggs, maple syrup is baked to golden and studded with juicy fruit and crunchy nuts. A pinch of baking powder gives the baked oatmeal a little lift and a bit of cake-like texture. You can use whichever fruit in season and pair it with nuts that complement the flavour. I opted to use sour cherries from my precious stash in the freezer with toasted almond slices. What a fantastic pairing! I especially love the striking appearance. Yes, it is oatmeal but this dish definitely belongs on any fancy brunch spread!
Baked Oatmeal with Sour Cherries & Almond
adapted from Super Natural Every Day (original recipe is available at Lottie+Doof)
serves 3-4
Ingredients
- butter to grease baking dish
- 100g old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 tsp fine-grain sea salt
- 250mL 2% evaporated milk (I don’t usually have milk at home so that’s what I used) or almond milk
- 1 large egg
- 30g maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 30g almond slices, toasted
- 100g sour cherries (fresh or frozen), pitted and halved
- 1 ripe banana, sliced
Method
- The night before, butter a 6-inch square ceramic baking dish. Yes, it is an odd size…mine measures about 3 cup capacity. I halved the original recipe to fit this dish actually. Leave the prepared container in the fridge overnight.
- In a different container, stir together oats, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Set it aside until you’re ready to assemble the dish.
- In yet another container, whisk together milk, egg, maple syrup, and extracts. Store it in the fridge and go to bed.
- First thing in the morning, preheat oven to 375F. Remove prepared baking dish and liquid mix from the fridge.
- Line the bottom of baking dish with sliced banana. Layer 1/2 of the oat mixture on top. Scatter half of the sour cherries and almond slices on top of oats. Layer remaining oats. Drizzle in the milk mixture until everything is soaked. Top with remaining sour cherries and almond slices.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes until top is golden and the oatmeal is set. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm.
