Baked Oatmeal

I am always looking for new and interesting ways to enjoy oatmeal for breakfast or in snacks.  My toddler prefers everything to look and taste like cake, so here is something I came up with after comparing many recipes for baked oatmeal.  There is no egg in this recipe.  You can use gluten-free oats.  If there are any dairy allergies, change up the milk to almond milk or coconut milk.  Rice milk should work just fine as well.  I used skim-milk the first time since that was what I had, turned out fine. I will try out coconut milk the next time I make this dish.  Go ahead and change up the spices to suit your taste.  Also, play around with the type of fruit.  I wonder how this would turn out with pears.   I think I may also try this with some pumpkin puree or even some ricotta.  I dare not add  raisins or dried fruit  since my toddler does not care for the texture of whole pieces of cooked dried fruit.  Although, I could always puree the dried fruit and add in for sweetness.  I did go ahead and use brown sugar today, I just left half the dish without extra brown sugar on top for him.  I usually bake with dark amber Canadian maple syrup instead of sugar.

My toddler enjoys a warm piece for breakfast or snack-looks just like cake!-with a glass of goats milk.

What you need:
3 cups rolled oats
1 +  3/4 cups milk
dash of salt
2 apples peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
about 1/3 cup dark brown sugar (we use Wholesome Sweeteners), reserving 2 tablespoons for topping
3 tablespoons butter, plus some extra for topping
1 teaspoon of baking powder (I don't know if this is needed)

9 inch baking dish
Several bowls
food processor, grater or Thermomix for chopping apples

How to assemble:
Combine oats and milk and salt.  You can soak in the refrigerator overnight if you would like and then proceed with the rest of the recipe when ready to bake.  For more about soaking grains, consult Wholefood for Children (book title and author in cookbook list). Soaking grains and flours is a new concept for me and I am working on incorporating this step into my recipes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Butter your baking dish.
Peel and chop up apples. Combine with ginger, cinnamon, brown sugar and melted butter.
Add apple mixture to oat mixture and then add baking powder.
Mix everything together and add mixture to prepared baking dish.
Sprinkle with butter and remaining brown sugar.
Bake for about 45 minutes or until golden.