Oatmeal. It’s not something most of us consider worthy of breakfast in bed. While a microwaved bowl of sloppy maple and brown sugar flavored oats might be an acceptable breakfast on a rushed Tuesday morning, weekend brunch calls for something a little more special. If breakfast in bed is the ultimate luxury, then this oatmeal brûlée recipe is an ideal bedfellow for stepping up your weekend brunch game.
Oatmeal goes from meh to Yeah! with the teamwork of apples, currants, spices and pecans in this Spiced Apple Oatmeal Brûlée Recipe. Things get extra hot and spicy when pear liqueur and fiery flames are added into the mix.
Sure, it’s more work than nuking a brown bag of chalky oats and water. But, all of that hard work is rewarded generously when you crack through the top of a crunchy brûlée crust to reveal the luxuriously creamy, spicy and fruit-forward oatmeal hidden beneath. It tastes even dreamier while lounging in your pjs atop your unmade bed next to that special someone. Follow that up with a lazy mid-morning slumber, and you’ve got a perfect weekend in the making.
Bonus: this recipe makes 4 servings so you can enjoy a nightcap of dessert-like oatmeal brûlée before heading back to that cozy bed of yours.
Recipe
Spiced Apple Oatmeal Brûlée Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4
Description
Pear liqueur and fire bring plain oatmeal from meh to Yeah! in this recipe for Spiced Apple Oatmeal Brûlée with currants and toasted pecans.
Ingredients
Oatmeal
- Bob’s Red Mill Organic Extra Thick Rolled Oats - 1 cup
- water - 2 cups
- salt - ½ teaspoon
- heavy cream - ½ cup
Apple Compote
- unsalted butter - 2 tablespoons
- brown sugar - 1 tablespoon
- cinnamon - 1 teaspoon
- ground nutmeg - ¼ teaspoon
- ground cardamom - ¼ teaspoon
- diced tart apples - 1 ½ cups (about 2 medium apples, diced into ½" cubes)
- currants - ½ cup
- maple syrup - 3-4 tablespoons
- pear liqueur - ¼ cup
- granulated sugar - ½ cup
- pecans - ⅓ cup
Instructions
Oats
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spread the pecans evenly on one baking sheet and the oats evenly on a separate baking sheet. Put the oats in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- During the final 8-10 minutes of baking, add the baking sheet with the pecans and continue baking both until the oats start to brown slightly and there is a nutty aroma.
- Remove from oven and set aside. Once the pecans have cooled, roughly chop them and reserve for later.
- Bring the water and oats to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the salt and cream. Cook over medium heat for 15-18 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Apple Compote
- In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom.
- Melt the butter over low heat in a sauté pan. When butter starts to brown, add the apples and swirl them around in the butter. Sprinkle the spice mix over the apples and toss to coat evenly. Add the currants and toss again to coat.
- Pour the pear liqueur over the apples. Using a culinary torch or if you’re really fancy, the flame of your gas stove to carefully light the alcohol. Once the alcohol burn offs, allow the compote to simmer until the juices begin to caramelize and the apples soften (about 5-7 minutes). Gently mix in the oats and stir in the maple syrup.
Flambé
- Divide the oatmeal between 4 (1 cup capacity) torch-safe ramekins.
- Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar over each ramekin of oatmeal. Using a culinary torch, gently melt the sugar until a candied crunchy brûlée crust forms.
- Sprinkle with chopped pecans and enjoy in the comfort of your warm and cozy bed.
Notes
If you do not have a culinary touch readily available, the flame of a gas stove can be used to light the alcohol. Broiling the oatmeal in the oven for 3-5 minutes will make for a crunchy brûlée just as well as the torch. Any combination of fruits, nuts or alcohol can be substituted. I suspect a rum laced banana walnut version would be incredible.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
Dayn says
Hi, great blog!
Becky Sue says
Thanks, Dayn!
Test Guy says
This is a test comment.
Becky Sue says
Thanks for the comment, guy.