Oatmeal Brûlée

"...now and then a giggling trail of mermaids appeared in our wake. We fed them oatmeal."― Tove Jansson, Moominpappa's Memoirs

Oatmeal is simple. Sometimes too simple to give it much notice.

However simple, there is a lot to like about oatmeal. There's the beta-glucan. And the complex carbohydrates and water-soluble fibre. Loads of B vitamins. Our very own FDA has said it is A-Okay for companies selling oatmeal to claim that it may reduce the risk of heart disease when combined with a low-fat diet. Loaded with more calories than most other types of porridge, oatmeal also encourages slow digestion and stabilizes blood-glucose levels.

And it tastes pretty darn good. 

Oh, oatmeal and oats have detractors, certainly.

Samuel Johnson was no fan. In his dictionary definition for oats he wrote: "A grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people."

In response, Lord Elibank retorted, "Yes, and where else will you see such horses and such men?"

Touché, Mr. Murray. Touché.

The simple, underrated, and oft-unappreciated oatmeal can be a bit more gourmet with just a scant bit of effort. It's easy, with just a little nudge, to give it a bit more je ne sais quoi.

And why not?

If you are going to make oatmeal you might as well go fancy. And so here, for your enjoyment and epicurean enlightenment, is the deceptively easy Oatmeal Brûlée. No blowtorch required.

(If you feel so inclined and want to impress, you can certainly call this Flocons D'avoine Brûlée. But keep in mind that's just fancy-speak for Burnt Oat Flakes. Sometimes less is more.)

Oatmeal Brûlée
1½ Cups water

1 Cup milk
1½ Cup oatmeal (either Old Fashioned or quick cooking)

1 large egg
3 Tbs brown sugar
1/2 Cup heavy cream
Fruit for topping (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)
Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350º F. Generously butter four small ramekins.

In a medium sauce pan, bring the water and milk and one tablespoon of the brown sugar to boil. Add the oatmeal and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook oatmeal for approximately five minutes until desired texture is reached.

While the oatmeal is cooking, mix the egg with the remaining two tablespoons of brown sugar and the cream. Beat well with a whisk.

When the oatmeal is cooked, spoon equal amounts into each of the prepared dishes, leaving enough room to add the egg mixture on top of each.

Top off each ramekin with the prepared egg mixture.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Sprinkle the top of each dish with powdered sugar. Continue to bake for 15 minutes more or until liquid is set and the top is slightly browned. 

Garnish with fruit of your choice and dust with more powdered sugar.

Serve warm.

Bon Appétit.

Gingerbread Waffles

Come sit at my table and share with me
Warm gingerbread cookies and cinnamon tea

There is something spectacularly Christmas-y about gingerbread. From the treacly spice cake of English gingerbread to the crunchy yet delicate Piparkakut of Finnish gingerbread to the Lebkuchen houses of German gingerbread, the smell of ginger and cinnamon and nutmeg and molasses baking together summons up memories of Christmases from childhood. 

Brought to Europe in 992 by an Armenian monk by the name of Gregory of Nicopolis, gingerbread has enjoyed lasting popularity in its many forms throughout Europe and in America and is especially treasured at Christmastime when the weather turns colder.

This is a breakfast version of the beloved treat and has the same heavenly aroma as you bake it. The rich, spicy flavour goes very well with the delicate vanilla of homemade whipped cream.

Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream

2 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Place the cream in a medium bowl. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Add the vanilla seeds to the cream and whisk gently to combine. Cover the mixture and refrigerate for one hour.

Beat the cream at medium speed with an electric mixer or use a wire whisk until soft peaks form. Slowly add the sugar and continue to beat just until stiff peaks form. Do not over whip.

Cover and refrigerate until your waffles are ready to be served.

Gingerbread Waffles
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
4 large eggs
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 16-ounce canned pumpkin puree
1 cup milk
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter

Preheat the waffle iron.

In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and brown sugar until fluffy, then beat in the pumpkin, milk, molasses and melted butter.

Stir the wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just moist. Do not over-stir.

Brush the waffle iron with a little melted butter. Add batter according to the waffle iron manufacturer's directions.

My waffle iron takes just under a cup of batter.

Bake until a rich, golden brown and slightly crisp.

Serve immediately, topped with the fresh vanilla whipped cream.

This makes about 8 to 10 large waffles.

If you don't have a waffle iron, no need to miss out on the yumminess. It is easy to convert a waffle batter into a pancake batter. With waffles, you are going for crisp on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside; but with pancakes you want a moist, cake-like texture throughout.

Eliminate the melted butter. Reduce the baking powder to 3 tsp. Once the batter is mixed up, if it seems too thick, add a little bit of extra milk. You don't want the pancakes to be too thick as they will remain uncooked in the middle. Pour 1/3 cup of batter at a time on a medium heat pan or griddle. Flip the pancake when you begin to see plenty of bubbles at the top of the batter.