Baked Cherry Oatmeal Pudding

Fresh sweet wine-red summer cherries might be my favorite snacking fruit, which can make pitting enough of them to get past my mouth and into a recipe an uncertain exercise — always better to have far too many on hand, at least in my house. But when they do survive long enough to be put into something like this oatmeal pudding, the results are extraordinary — baking cherries elevates their sweet taste and, combined with the essence of almonds, fills your kitchen with heavenly aromas.

This recipe is a remix of a baked apple-blueberry oatmeal breakfast pudding that scored a huge hit with me and my husband a little while ago, and if anything this proved to be an even greater success. The process of soaking oats overnight in yogurt not only breaks down the grain's complex proteins into easily digestible components, in addition the results bake into a soft and creamy spongey pudding that can be eaten as a dessert or for breakfast.

Baked Cherry Oatmeal Pudding

Recipe by Lisa Turner Published on July 18, 2014 A simple and healthy soft spongey pudding made with baked oatmeal and fresh sweet cherries Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups rolled oats 2 cups whole fat plain yogurt 1/2 cup coconut (or brown) sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 2 cups whole milk 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon almond extract 2 cups fresh sweet cherries, pitted and halved Instructions: In a large bowl, combine the oats and yogurt. Cover with a clean dish towel and let stand overnight at room temperature. Generously butter a 9 × 9 ceramic or glass baking or casserole dish. Preheat an oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Gradually whisk in the milk, vanilla and almond extract until combined. Pour the mixture into the oats and stir to combine. Scatter half the cherries in the baking dish, and gently spoon in the oat mixture. Scatter the remaining cherries over the top, and bake uncovered for 50 to 60 minutes or until the top is browned and the pudding is slightly set (it will finish setting while it's cooling, but it should not be too liquid-y either). Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream, toasted slivered almonds, or by itself. Makes 6 servings

Other ideas from Lisa's Kitchen:
Baked Apple-Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Pudding
Apple-Oatmeal Breakfast Streusel Cake
Cherry Vanilla Ricotta Muffins

On the top of the reading stack: Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

Audio Accompaniment: sweet silence