Baked Oatmeal, With Apples and Bananas

I like to ate ate ate apples and bananas
I like eat eat eat epples and benenes 
I like to ite ite ite ipples and bininis

I like to ote ote ote oplles and bononos
I like to ute ute ute upples and bununus

Mornin’ ladies and gents. I have oatmeal for you today. Baked oatmeal. Baked oatmeal that is so good I want to eat it for my breakfast, my mid-afternoon snack, and my dessert.

I recently purchased Heidi Swanson’s cookbook Super Natural Everyday. She has beautiful photos and healthy recipes using all of the ingredients that I want in my food. I want to be her. I want to make every recipe in the book. I am inspired.

This baked oatmeal has bananas, apples, and dried apricots. Baking everything together with milk and maple syrup gives the oats a sweet hearty taste. I like eating  mine with vanilla soy milk poured over the top and a little nob of peanut butter. What a cozy way to start the morning now that the weather has started cooling off here in New York.

As per usual, you can use any seasonal fruit and nut that you prefer in here, you can add extra spices like nutmeg and ginger, and feel free to throw in a few flaxseeds and some wheat germ for more oomph. You can even make it vegan by using non-dairy milk and adding ground flaxseeds instead of an egg. I only used about half of the amount of butter that the recipe calls for; you can omit it altogether or use Earth Balance buttery sticks.

Throughout her book, Heidi provides measurements in grams and ounces. After purchasing a food scale a few months ago, I am obsessed with measuring my flour, sugar, etc. in grams (155 g=1 cup of flour; 200 g=1 cup sugar…). Especially if you are an avid baker, I highly recommend you invest in a nice scale. You will use it all the time and it is less messy than using cup measures.

Happy Breakfast, Happy Fall, Happy Eating.

Baked Oatmeal

from Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Everyday

serves 6 generously or 12 as part of a larger brunch spread

Ingredients:

2 cups/ 7 oz/ 200 g rolled oats

1/2 cup/ 2 oz/ 60 g walnut pieces, chopped

1/3 cup/ 2 oz/ 60 g maple syrup (or natural cane sugar)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

2 cups/ 475 ml milk

1 large egg

1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 ripe bananas, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 1/2 cups/ 6.5 oz/ 185 g berries or chopped apples or dried fruit such as golden raisins or apricots

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Generously butter the inside of an 8-inch/ 20 cm square baking dish.

In a bowl, mix together the oats, half the walnuts, the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt (NOTE: if you are using sugar instead of maple syrup, add it here).

In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup (if using), the milk, egg, half of the butter, and the vanilla.

Arrange the bananas in a single layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle 2/3 of the berries/apples/dried fruit over the top. Cover the fruit with the dry oat mixture. Slowly drizzle the milk mixture over the oats. Gently give the baking dish a couple of thwacks on the counter-top to make sure the milk moves through the oats. Scatter the remaining berries and remaining walnuts across the top.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the top is nicely golden and the oat mixture has set. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Drizzle the remaining melted butter on top and serve. Sprinkle with a bit more sugar or drizzle with maple syrup if you want it a bit sweeter. Or, pour some more milk (I like vanilla soy milk) over an individual portion and enjoy with a spoonful of peanut butter.