Best Bowl of Oatmeal

Until my friend Heather Palmer introduced me to this recipe, I had never tried "Irish Oatmeal" or "Steel Cut Oats." Now, Irish Oats are one of my favorite things to have for breakfast and this recipe is a wonderfully-yummy way to prepare them. My sons Michael and Mark love Irish Oats, too. You'll never be able to go back to regular oatmeal!

For the Oatmeal:

2 cups water

2 cups milk

1 cup steel-cut oats (Irish)

1 pinch salt

1/2 cup apple juice

1/2 cup golden raisins or dried cherries
brown sugar 

In a medium saucepan, bring the water and milk to a boil. Stir in the steel-cut oats and salt and cook a few minutes to thicken. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. (To cut the cooking time, soak the oats in water overnight by brining the water to a boil, turning off the heat, and adding the oats. Cover the pot and let sit over night. The next morning, add the milk and cook on low heat 9 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.)

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the apple juice to a boil, add the raisins, and cook a few minutes to help them plump.

When the oatmeal is cooked, add brown sugar to taste, if desired.

To serve, ladel the piping hot oatmeal into bowls, sprinkle the plumped raisins on top, and spoon a dollop of the brown sugar whipped cream in the center.

For the Brown Sugar Whipped Cream:

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

In a mixing bowl, combine the heavy cream, brown sugar, and cinnamon and whip until stiff. Keep chilled.

For a printable version of this recipe, go HERE.