Like warm apple pie without all the work (or calories, if you're counting).
Something magic happens between the stirring and the absorbing of apple cider that gives the oats an incredibly soft (gut-satisfying) and rich pie-flavored quality. I load them up with dried cranberries, golden raisins, pecans, almonds, and cinnamon. A dollop of Greek yogurt adds creaminess and protein, and honestly, they do not need extra sugar, but a little sprinkle of sea salt is excellent for balance.
Once the oats are infused with the sweet apple spice of the cider, the flavor (and the aroma) steaming through your kitchen will transport you into a dreamy, walking-through-an-orchard-snow-white-style haze...and that's worth a lot.
Feel free to double or triple the recipe to serve more people.
Notes: Scottish oats are Bob's Red Mill.
LOADED APPLE PIE SCOTTISH OATS
Ingredients: 1/3 cup Scottish oats (fine, stone-ground groats), 1 1/3 cup apple cider, a pinch of sea salt, one small apple, 1 tsp. butter or coconut oil, 2 tbsp. plain Greek yogurt. Toppings: broken pecans, shaved almonds, dried cranberries, golden raisins.
Serves one well.
1. Core the apple and slice thinly (no need to peel). Place it into a small skillet with the butter over medium-high heat. Cook for 7-10 minutes until the apple is softened and browned. Remove and set aside.
2. Bring the apple cider to a low boil in a saucepan. Stir in the oats with a pinch of salt. Turn heat to medium-low, and cook for 12-15 minutes, until cider is absorbed and oats are smooth, "with a flow" to them when you stir.
3. Tip the oats into a large shallow bowl. Add toppings. Finish with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a dusting of cinnamon.