Recipe: Blackberry and pear baked oats

If you need a little help getting yourself out of bed during these chilly autumnal mornings, this should do the trick.

With an abundance of blackberries in our freezer, and being rather partial to oats for breakfast, I dreamt this recipe up to add a little variety to the morning staples. It is amazing how the same ingredients cooked differently can result in an entirely new meal altogether! The texture of the oats once baked is almost cake like and the eggs lend to it a wonderfully custardy flavour. Add to this the sweet perfume of the pear and the summery notes of blackberry and you have yourself breakfast fit for a king!

BLACKBERRY & PEAR BAKED OATS

Serves 6

• 200g (2 cups) oats
• 55g (¼ cup) sugar (variety of your choice)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
• 2 pears, cored, diced
• 1½ cups blackberries, fresh or frozen
• 20g (⅓ cup) coconut chips (shredded or desiccated coconut would be fine too)
• 35g (¼ cup) sesame seeds
• 65g (½ cup) nuts of your choice (I used cashew)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease an oven dish with oil or butter.

Put the oats, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger into a bowl and mix well to combine. Add the eggs, milk, water, vanilla, pears and blackberries and mix again until combined. Pour into the oven dish.  

Mix the coconut, sesame seeds, nuts, maple syrup and butter in a small bowl with a pinch of sea salt. Spoon this mixture evenly over the oats and bake for 35-40 minutes or until set. Serve with yoghurt, or cream if you’re feeling decadent!