Personally, I love sweet breakfasts. But sometimes, whipping up fluffy pancakes or deep-crevice waffles drizzled in salted butter and pure maple syrup is simply too much effort in the wee hours of the morning. Even on weekends. I am lucky enough if I can drag myself to the espresso machine (okay, I lie: Ben does the morning espresso!). I am a morning person, it’s just hard getting the gears going.

This dessert is the perfect compromise for both the lazy and the gourmet: it is both sweet and different, tantalizing delicious, and the toppings can be made ahead of time. Phew, dodged that bullet!

Forget any pre-made notions that oatmeal is boring. This recipe is ANYTHING but boring. It is basically a cherry almond pie for breakfast. Or a cherry almond crumble, more like. In any case, this breakfast tastes way better than it looks and will make your guests, your neighbours, and the neighbour’s cat go ‘Wow!’

Imagine a base of classic oatmeal (not too sticky, not too runny). Imagine topping it with a marzipan cream (both sweet and almond-y), and pan roasted cherries with brandy and black pepper. OH MAN!

Wait, what? Black pepper in a sweet breakfast? Believe it or not, but it totally works. And you should totally try it and let me know what you think 🙂

Black Pepper Cherries and Marzipan Cream Oatmeal

Ingredients:

• 24 ripe cherries, de-pitted and sliced in half
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp brandy
• cracked black pepper
• 4 oz fresh and soft marzipan
• 1/4 cup cream or milk
• 2/3 cup large flake oatmeal

Directions:

1. In a frying pan, heat the cherries and sugar over medium heat until juices release and just begin to start caramelizing. Add the brandy and reduce heat to medium-low. Add black pepper.
2. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the cherries soften and the juices thicken to form a syrup. Remove from heat and let cool.
3. To make the marzipan cream, over medium-low heat, heat the marzipan and milk in a sauce pan, careful not to allow the milk to come to a boil. Press down the marzipan with the back of a spoon to dissolve it. Once all lumps and clumps have dissolved, remove from heat and stir until thickened. Add more milk if you find it too thick.
4. To cook the oatmeal, bring 1 and 1/2 cups water to a boil in a medium-sized cooking pot, then add the oatmeal. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the oatmeal reaches the desired consistency (I like mine more runny; Ben likes his dry).
5. Serve with the warmed cherries and the marzipan sauce.

Cherries and marzipan can be made ahead of time (stored in the fridge): reheat over the stove or in microwave.

Serves 2 hungry breakfast-eaters! Plus extra marzipan cream for another morning.