There was a time when my daily breakfast consisted only of a super-sized diet soda. I had been one of a handful of people left in the universe who didn't get their morning caffeine fix from coffee (yikes, this is crazy I know). While I have not yet given up my addiction to diet soda, a portal to the coffee world has recently opened for me. That is, if an espresso latte ramped up with a sweet nutty coconut almond milk base, a touch of half and half, and some cinnamon made at my local coffeehouse qualifies as 'coffee' to those of you hardcore 'only take it black' coffee drinkers. Whether it does or not, it has become newest obsession.
A couple months back I made a concerted effort to eat more oatmeal for breakfast. After almost three weeks of going on the 'be a little more health conscious, eat more oatmeal' binge, I sort of got burned out. Eating a bowl of hot oatmeal five days a week may have been a bit too much even for my creature of habit food habits. Yet, coinciding with this self-imposed monotony, the season of fresh blueberries was coming to an end. The fruit I was using to add some sweetness to the oatmeal because I was trying to keep it on the healthier side.
I had been selectively flipping back and forth between the Cooking Channel (my favorite) and the Food Network (used to be my favorite) last weekend when I heard The Pioneer Woman talk about her obsession with overnight oatmeal. A cold oatmeal studded with raisins and apples, marinated overnight in a mixture of milk, half-and-half, brown sugar and vanilla, and as if that wasn't enough, it had a brûléed finish. Probably not the most health conscious way to eat oatmeal, but seriously, I wondered if this might be a wicked way to have oatmeal return to my life. Although maybe this version might require me to exercise some moderation. Maybe.
Raisins were Ree Drummond's dried fruit of choice. Dried cranberries were mine. To counterbalance the guilt over the addition of brown sugar in this oatmeal, I decided to add almonds. Did you know compared to all other nuts, almonds are packed with the most nutrients and have the longest list of health benefits? You probably did, however, I have a reason for reminding you of that bit of food trivia. You will figure what that is shortly.
The Granny Smith apple was the perfect apple option. Cut into a small dice, it brings the right amount of tartness and crunch to this oatmeal.
After all of the ingredients are mixed together in a medium sized bowl, covered, and placed in the refrigerator, the only thing left to do was wait. I added in the almonds with all of the other ingredients. To ensure they stay as crunchy as possible, it would be better to add them to the Overnight Almond, Apple and Cranberry Oatmeal right before you are ready to serve it.
If you do not have a kitchen torch, you can always brûlée the oatmeal in a broiler (it only takes minutes for the sugar to melt and caramelize in a broiler, but you will need to watch it carefully). If you make creme brûlée or have made/wanted to make the s'mores fudge tart, your investment of a thirty dollar kitchen torch will more than itself pay off.
Any trepidation I had over not liking the taste of cold oatmeal completely dissipated after the first bite. If I told you it reminded me somewhat of a caramel apple, you might think it too sweet for your palate or for breakfast. So I won't tell you that because I want you to make it as it is nothing like any bowl of oatmeal you have ever had. When you are eating this bowl of deliciousness, I want you to focus more on the fact you are eating oatmeal, apples, and almonds (does it get any healthier?) than on worrying there is also some brown sugar and half-and-half (everything in moderation, right?). And let's not forget, the dried cranberries fall somewhere on good for you scale.
I discovered Bon Appétit's great article on overnight oatmeal ("Make Overnight Oats That Actually Taste Good by Avoiding These Common Mistakes") two days after making this version of overnight oatmeal. There are some aspects of this recipe not consistent with their advice (e.g., the liquid to oatmeal ratio), however, in spite of this, the creaminess and texture of the oatmeal was perfect.
Not only is this Overnight Almond, Apple, and Cranberry Oatmeal ideal for breakfast, it would also be a great option for either lunch or dinner. I happen to be one of those who thinks breakfast, like caffeine, should be a twenty-four a day option.
Recipe
Overnight Almond, Apple, and Cranberry Oatmeal (slight adaptations to Ree Drummond's Overnight Oatmeal recipe)
Serves 2 (generously)
Ingredients
1 generous cup old-fashioned oats (recommend Quaker Old-Fashioned Oats)
3/4 cup whole milk (could also use almond milk or coconut almond milk)
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/4 generous cup of dried cranberries (can also use raisins or dried blueberries)
1/4 generous cup of almonds
2 packed Tablespoons light brown sugar
1-2 teaspoons vanilla
Pinch of kosher salt
1 small or half of a large Granny Smith Apple, diced
2-3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
Directions
1. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the old-fashioned oats, milk, half-and-half, dried cranberries, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, and diced apple. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Note: Almonds can be added in after the mixture has refrigerated overnight to prevent them from softening.
2. Stir mixture. If too thick add additional milk or half-and-half (mine was just the right consistency and no additional liquid was added).
3. Divide mixture between two bowls.
4. Sprinkle each with 1 - 1 1/2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar. Using a kitchen torch, brown lightly.
5. Serve immediately.
Note: This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.
