Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

You want to make this oatmeal. Trust me. You really do. The apples, brown sugar and cinnamon make for such a cozy feeling!

   I try to make one big batch of oatmeal, muffins or mini frittatas each Sunday for us to eat for breakfast throughout the week. I have a base recipe for all of these things but change up the ingredients each time, so we don't get bored. This baked oatmeal is the misters favorite. The boys, obviously,  prefer chocolate chip oatmeal but that is a rare treat. Lee is an apple fanatic but he doesn't like them raw. I, on the other hand, love raw apples but am not a fan of baked apple desserts. I actually like this recipe because I don't cook the apple to long so they still have a bite to them but they're cooked enough that Lee likes them too. Compromise, it's what makes the world go round! Now, if we could only solve the worlds problems as easily as we have solved our apple debate.

You know what I learned today?

 This is a recipe that doesn't look very tasty in photos. 

But it is so very tasty! 

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

Recipe adapted from Seriously Delish: 150 Recipes for People Who Totally Love Food

Serves 4-6

(click to print)

for the apples:

2 tablespoons butter

3 apples, peeled and cut into chunks

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

for the oats:

3 cups oats

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup almond milk + extra for topping after it's baked

1/2 cup apple sauce

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 eggs beaten 

1 tablespoon vanilla

Preheat your oven to 350 F and get out a casserole dish. Start with the apples. In a large skillet, over medium high heat, melt your butter, then add apples and toss to coat in butter. Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Allow to cook, stirring often, until sugar has dissolved and bubbles and thickens. In a large bowl stir together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, whisk together almond milk, applesauce, butter, eggs and vanilla. Stir the wet into the dry, then pour into you casserole dish. Top with the apple then bake for about 25 minutes or until oatmeal is golden brown and set.

It's like an apple fritter but oatmeal! 

Happy breakfasting!

xoxo,

Ashley

Almond Fig Muffins

These are my new favorite things. 

Fig + Almond + Cardamom + Orange + Honey + Muffins = deliciousness to infinity

I'm not kidding, the are amazing.

Fig are hard to find here in Tennessee. 

I love them but dang, those bad boys are expensive, and they go bad so quickly!

You're going to want to buy them no more than a day before you're ready to use them.

My youngest child, feeling super important, being that his birthday was the next day, took two bites out of half of these as soon as I put my camera down.

Then he found his perfect muffin and trotted off to watch Barney.

I hate that stupid dinosaur! 

Why are children's shows so mind numbly annoying!?!?

I think it's time to force him to watch more Sesame Street. 

Now that is good tv!

I know these almost look burnt, but they'e not. 

Ok, some may be on the extra done side, but I did that on purpose, I swear.

Mr. Buttercup, or the Dred Pirate, whatever you want to call him, likes his baked good with a slight char.

Plus, the honey I drizzled on top caramelized, leaving some of these with burnt bits on the top. 

Those were his favorites.  

I usually make a couple dozen muffins every Sunday to last through the week. 

These will not make it past Wednesday, I guarantee it. 

Luckily I made some chocolate chip oatmeal muffins too.

Not being super healthy this week. Oops.

If you want to make them slightly better for you, change out your sweetener, and add some flax meal. 

Or don't and be rebellious like me.  

Almond Fig Muffins
Makes: 1 dozen
(click to print)

for muffins:
1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup oil*
1 tablespoon orange extract
zest of one orange
8 figs cut into quarters
crumb topping (recipes follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a standard muffin pan with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom and salt, make a well in the center and set aside. In another bowl whisk together, egg, milk, oil and extract. Add liquid ingredients to the cent of the dry and stir until just combined. D not over mix. Stir in zest at the very end. Fill muffin tin 2/3 of the way full. Top with crumb topping and a drizzle of honey and a few slices of fig. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

for crumb topping:
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
pinch of cinnamon
1/4 cup almonds

In a small bowl add all ingredients and use your fingers or a fork to work the ingredients together.


*Use whatever your prefrence is for baking, I used vegtable oil this time but have used olive oil and coconut oil in the past.

Have one of these with a cup off coffee and start your day of right. :)

xoxo,
Ashley