Breakfast for lunch: Creamy oatmeal with peaches and golden syrup

When you think brunch you tend to think of pancakes with bacon, maple syrup and bananas or french toast with a luscious dollop of mascarpone or oozy hollandaise with eggs bene right?

But when you're a student and a cafe brunch is waaaaay out of the budget, you make do with more simple breakfast fare for lunch, enter Creamy Oatmeal with Peaches and Golden Syrup. 

So simple, it doesn't really need a recipe but don't underestimate the deliciousness of a steaming hot creamy oatmeal with lashings of golden syrup and plump wedges of peach.   It's just like rice pudding only healthy-ish since oatmeal can help lower cholesterol.

Who knew the humble bowl of porridge could be so darn sexy?

Golden syrup is a thing of true beauty.  It's a topping that pretty much makes anything delicious.  For the uninitiated, golden syrup is an inverted sugar syrup...think maple syrup but thicker smokier and more toffee-ey.  It makes incredible desserts and is divine on french toast, pancakes and of course oatmeal.

Now, for the secret to a truly indulgently creamy oatmeal, cooking it in a double boiler is the way to go, with the indirect gentle heat coxing the oatmeal to luscious creamy smoothness (oh and the dash of cream at the end also helps things along nicely too).

But for convenience you can't really beat zapping your oatmeal in the microwave.  I've put instructions in for both methods so you can choose if you feel like a lazy super quick microwave brekkie or with a little more effort an addictively creamy treat.

And of course, you are not limited to using canned peaches.  The world is your fruit bowl really.  If you're lucky enough to be in summer time in your spot on the globe, whack on some fresh raspberries, blueberries or strawberries or fresh nectarines or really any other fab fresh fruit to the plain old banana.  Frozen berries work amazingly too - frozen blueberries and raspberries being my fav.  If you happen to have stashes of stewed fruit around, stewed plums, rhubarb or apples are beautiful mixed through.  Even dried fruits like dates, cranberries or sultanas are great in a pinch.

Creamy Oatmeal with Peaches and Golden Syrup

serves 1

1/2 cup oatmeal
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water (if cooking over a stove)
small pinch salt
1/2 can of peaches, drained.
golden syrup to drizzle, to taste (or a few teaspoons of brown sugar also does the trick nicely)
dash of cream(~ 1 Tablespoon)

1. Stove top method:  Using a double boiler (or a saucepan over another saucepan with simmering water), bring water to a gentle simmer in the bottom making sure the water does not touch the top saucepan/bowl.  Add the oatmeal, milk, salt and water and gently heat over a medium-low heat, stirring frequently until smooth and creamy and no longer lumpy.  This took about 5 minutes but may be longer or shorter depending on your saucepan size, how hot your stove is etc.

2.  Microwave method:  In a biggish microwave safe bowl, add oatmeal, salt and milk.  Microwave on high for 1 minute 30 seconds.  Take out and stir.  Then heat in 30 second bursts stirring in between until all the liquid is absorbed.

3. To serve, top with peaches, add a generous splash of cream and drizzle over plenty of golden syrup.  Enjoy with a steaming hot cup of coffee and you can imagine you're in your own little trendy cafe chez your place.