
Black Pepper Cherries and Marzipan Cream Oatmeal
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 š
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:
- 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.
- Cook for about 10 minutes or until the cherries soften and the juices thicken to form a syrup. Remove from heat and let cool.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.