This morning I woke up in the mood to cook. It was a cold morning and I wanted something warm and filling, so I decided to try out a twist on my usual bowl of yogurt or oatmeal. Who says breakfast has to be boring? I had decided last night that I wanted to make something seasonal, and I thought of cinnamon and apples. I know those are usually ingredients found in seasonal desserts - pies, tarts, etc., but I also love to bake, so whenever I see recipes that combine breakfast with baking, I am temped to try them out.
As I browsed through my extensive virtual recipe collection, I stopped and hovered my cursor over two different recipes: Baked Peanut Butter and Apple Oatmeal, and Baked Apples on Greek Yogurt. I decided on the baked apples over yogurt, and pulled out my little pad of paper to make a grocery list. I made sure to add Greek yogurt (and I also tacked on some other items: steel-cut oats, canned pumpkin, and dark brown sugar for those other baked breakfasts/desserts in my recipe collection that I have yet to try out). The beauty of my Baked Apples on Greek Yogurt recipe was that all I needed to pick up at the store was the Greek yogurt; I had everything else at home! My family always has an excess of apples around, so this was just another way of using them up.
With my coffee and recipe in hand, I got to work in the kitchen. I prepared the apple mixture in a baking pan and got it in the oven right away so I would have time to run off to the grocery store to get my Greek Yogurt after they were done (and before my 10 am haircut appointment). The apples filled the house with a sweet, cinnamon smell and were done right on schedule, so I covered the pan to keep them warm and made a quick trip to the co-op.
When I got home, my parents and I topped our half-full bowls of yogurt with the hot, baked apples. Then we each added a handful of granola for a little crunch, and a drizzle of honey. It was even better than I expected – definitely a recipe to remember!
I still had some baked apples left over, so I wanted to find a creative use for them. Since they do resemble dessert, I imagined heating them up to eat with a scoop of vanilla ice cream like apple crisp. They could just as easily be added to pancakes, muffins, oatmeal, or tossed into a pie-crust for a quick and easy mini apple pie! I quickly realized that I had discovered a great little scheme for quick and easy apple treats.
These apples also re-heat well, so if you have a busy morning ahead of you, just make them the night or day before for an easy and delicious breakfast the next morning (they keep for at least a few days in the fridge and might work frozen). Wake-up, re-heat your apples, and add them to your favorite yogurt, pancake recipe, muffin recipe, or oatmeal! I imagine they would be delicious combined with steel-cut oats and a handful of nuts (my favorites are walnuts and almonds), or some dried cranberries or raisins. The point is, they are a good basis for a hearty breakfast, but leave you with lots of room to be creative…and use up whatever ingredients you have at home - especially those storage apples!
Apples Baked with Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Served on Greek Yogurt
6 Honeycrisp apples (or whatever storage apples you have laying around), peeled and cut into cubes
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
-Preheat oven to 425°F.
-Combine all ingredients in an oven-safe pan. Roast apples for about 50-60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so until apples are golden brown around the edges. Serve with Greek yogurt and granola.
Total time: 60-70 minutes
Yield: about 3 cups
Sarah Schwie is currently pursuing a degree in Child Psychology and Spanish Language studies and recently got back from traveling in Uganda and Venezuela. Sarah loves to travel while photographing new places and exploring food and cooking in other countries. Sarah is constantly cooking at home and out supporting our fabulous local restaurants!
