Baked Oatmeal with Pears and Vanilla Cream - via Smitten Kitchen
Vanilla Sugar
1/2 C + 2 TBL sugar
1/2 vanilla bean
Split bean and rub seeds into the sugar. Set aside. Save bean pod for cream step.
Vanilla Cream:
1 C heavy cream
2 TBL of the prepared vanilla sugar
Vanilla Pod
Simmer 5 minutes, reducing to 3/4 C. Remove pod. Chill.
Pears:
3 pears (Anjou, Bartletts or Forelle), peeled, cored, and sliced in half
2 TBL butter
1 lemon
Turn oven to 400 degrees. Zest half of lemon. Set aside. Squeeze juice from all of the lemon and toss the six pear halves in juice. Put butter in 9x13" pan and place in oven to melt. Sprinkle remaining vanilla sugar on top of the butter and place the pear halves, cut side down. Add any remaining lemon juice. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10 minutes.
Oatmeal:
1 C milk
1 C water
2 TBL melted butter
2 large eggs
1.5 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp baking powder
3 C rolled oats
(lemon zest)
Whisk milk, water, melted butter, eggs, salt, and zest together. Sprinkle baking powder and whisk to blend. Add oats and stir several times.
When pears have done their 30 minutes of baking, flip them and add as much of the sugar sauce as they can hold. Then add the oats around the pears.
REDUCE heat to 350 and bake 20-25 minutes or until pear is soft and oatmeal is golden around edges.
Makes 6 servings, topped with a drizzle of the cream. Each portion can be reheated per day up to one week.
*If your oven runs cool, increase the baking time to 30-45mins
