Baked oats: Biscoff/ Black Forest

Cake for breakfast?!

*Use an egg if you want a firmer texture, a banana can be substituted if you want a more stodgy texture

*There are a million flavours you can do depending on what you have sitting around (Carrot cake, pumpkin pie, triple chocolate, honey raspberry cheesecake, banana and chocolate chip....).

The basic structure is to use the oat flour and baking powder as a base, honey for sweetness, egg/banana and milk if it's needed. When using extra wet ingredients (such as yogurt or pumpkin puree) I usually add a little more oat flour to get the texture I like.

*I like it best with a few squares of chocolate on top (because it melts), lots of yogurt and some fruit.

*Each of the recipes are baked and combined in an oven-proof bowl (so you can make as many as you want, preparing each in their separate bowls. It will take longer the more bowls you have in the oven.)

LOTUS BISCOFF BANANA

Desert spoon of pumpkin puree

1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 egg

2 1/2 desert spoons of ground oats (to make a flour)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of ginger

1/4 teaspoon of cloves

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

Combine. Add a splash of milk if the texture is too stiff. The more liquid (ie. pumpkin, milk etc.) you add, the stodgier it will be.

Before going in the oven: melty middle.

Oven for about 20 mins at Gas 4 give or take, I finished off the one pictured in the microwave for a minute.

Use a couple of squares of chocolate if you have it, or a little spoon of peanut butter. In the one above, I used a little spoon of biscoff spread.

Topping (as pictured):

100% dark chocolate chips

Sprinkle of pistachios

Finely chopped banana

1 lotus biscoff biscuit.

A generous spoon of yogurt (this is extra delicious if you add a little lemon zest and mix it with a little cream cheese. Gives it a cheesecake-ish taste.)

Cacao nibs.

CHOCOLATE BLACK FOREST with CHEESECAKE topping

I think this is actually the best one I've ever made. The topping contrasted the rest really well- fresh and fruity as well as chocolatey. The consistency was stodgy but not underdone (this one's for you mum!)

1 blended banana

1 spoon of honey

*A splash of milk (I used a little yogurt and a little water in this one because I ran out)

2 1/2 desert spoons of blended oat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 desert spoon of cocoa powder

*Next time I might try adding some essence- almond and/or vanilla maybe

Combine.

For the melty middle: I recommend peanut butter

Oven at about 200 c for about 30 mins. I took it out earlier than I wanted because I ran out of time but it worked out really nice.

For the topping:

A couple of squares of good-quality dark raspberry chocolate

Couple of spoonfuls of summer fruits (I defrosted in the fridge overnight)

1 strawberry

A spoon of yogurt and a spoon of mascarpone (I would have added a little lemon zest if I had any)

A few seeds for fun.

And then I devoured it. And those 5 mins I had spare before I had to run to uni on a full stomach was utterly divine and completely worth it. Could easily be a desert too?! That mascarpone was too good...