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Apparently, when I want to feel fancy, I reach for a vanilla bean and a kitchen torch.ย  Again and again.ย  I hope my friends and loved ones donโ€™t mind the repetition.ย  A kitchen torch never fails to impress, and a vanilla bean never fails to deliver its intoxicating aroma.ย  Add cute little ramekins to the mix and I believe world peace could be attained right here in this kitchen.

I fought my instinct to add some kirsch or amaretto to this baked oatmeal.ย  If itโ€™s a lazy Saturday or Sunday morning, I think you should add the booze.ย  I pulled this recipe together one Friday morning when we decided it was too foggy to drive into work.ย  The school buses racing by on the county road outside prevented me from glugging it in with reckless abandon.ย  Even when I take a day off, I rarely fail to relax.ย  I treat it as a day to accomplish as much as possible:ย  laundry, mopping, baking, photographing, grocery shopping, weeding, making stock with the vegetable odds and ends I throw in the freezer while I cook each night, and the list goes on and on.ย  Iโ€™m hoping these decadent breakfasts weโ€™ve beenย enjoying lately will make me pause and savor the moments before the sun peaks through the fog.

Other recipes in the 2012 Valentineโ€™s Day Breakfast in Bed series so far:
Cheddar Biscuit Breakfast Sandwiches
Pina Colada Smoothie
Creme Brulee French Toast

To browse all of my small breakfast recipes, click here.

Yield: Makes 2 10-ounce ramekins.

Cherry Vanilla Baked Oatmeal

Cherry Vanilla Baked Oatmeal

A delicious cherry dessert.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rolled oats (not instant oats)
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (plus extra for greasing ramekins)
  • 1/3 of a vanilla bean, scraped of its black seeds
  • 1/2 cup dried cherries
  • 2 teaspoons sugar for bruleeing the top (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 and grease the ramekins with the extra butter. Add 1/4 of dried cherries to the bottom of each ramekin. Set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients (oats through salt). In a measuring cup, whisk the milk, egg yolk, melted butter, vanilla bean seeds. Divide the dry oat mixture between each ramekin, then slowly pour the milk mixture on top. Use the measuring cup to evenly divide the wet ingredients into each ramekin. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until puffed and slightly set. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of sugar on each ramekin and brulee with a kitchen torch for an extra touch. Serve warm.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 675Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 223mgSodium: 396mgCarbohydrates: 87gFiber: 7gSugar: 43gProtein: 18g

Did you make this recipe?

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ย 

About Christina Lane

Christina Lane is the author of 5 cookbooks all about cooking and baking for two. She has scaled down hundreds of recipes into smaller servings so you can enjoy your favorite dishes without the leftovers! Valentine's Day is her favorite holiday.

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41 Comments

  1. Krissy's Creations says:

    Very fancy indeed :). Love baked oatmeal. One of my favorite breakfasts!

  2. Margarita says:

    Oh my! How gorgeous! I have everything this recipe requires, except the vanilla bean. I will just substitute it with the extract.

  3. nicole {sweet peony} says:

    such a pretty photo!! i bet this smelled awesome while it was bakingโ€ฆ i love making baked oatmeal! and the kitchen torch just makes everything more fun :)

  4. Eden says:

    The torch is the real reason I went to culinary school. Turns out, you donโ€™t even need school to learn how to work it. ;)

  5. Danielle says:

    Mmmmmmโ€ฆ.I bet that makes the kitchen smell fantastic. I usually make apple cinnamon or pumpkin baked oatmeal, but I canโ€™t wait to try cherry vanilla.

  6. Kimby says:

    Definitely a foggy day (or any day!) breakfast in bed offering โ€” thanks for this!

  7. Fresh and Foodie says:

    Love!

  8. Emanuelle says:

    This looks amazing!!! I canโ€™t wait to try it!!

    Check out my blog if you get a chance. It would mean a lot to me!

    http://www.manusmenu.blogspot.com

  9. Cheryl says:

    This is YUMMY! I only needed one serving so halved everything except the nuts and egg yolk. I substituted dried cranberries for the cherries. Iโ€™ll be making this again for sure!

  10. Phuong says:

    Hi Christina, love your blog and your recipes. I go crazy for dessert but not for baking a huge dessert for an army. I have just made your baked oatmeal for breakfast this morning, adding the whole egg and reduce milk by a cup, sneaking in a bit of Baileys. I threw in half an apple โ€™cause I donโ€™t have any cherry on hand. After 20 minutes of baking I switched the oven to broil and left them in for another 5 minutes. They came out divine! Thanks so much!