Thanksgiving is over and December is here, which means it’s officially acceptable to start thinking about Christmas! As you may have guessed, our new Book of the Month is A Christmas Carol. Seasonally appropriate, yes?

Just before seeing the ghost of Marley, Scrooge settles in for a hearty dinner of…gruel. As interesting as it would be to make authentic Victorian gruel, it’s famous for pretty much tasting like oatmeal water (which is exactly what it is). Instead, I decided to make a bowl of oatmeal that would thaw even the likes of Ebeneezer Scrooge on a cold winter’s day. The recipe is simple, but each ingredient has something special about it. It made a great winter breakfast for the Mister and myself!

P.S. The oats used here are the steel cut variety, which take longer to cook than quick or instant oats. Plan for about 35 minutes of cook time.

Oatmeal to Warm a Cold Heart

“But before he shut his heavy door, he walked through his rooms to see that all was right…Sitting-room, bed-room, lumber-room. All as they should be. Nobody under the table, nobody under the sofa; a small fire in the grate; spoon and basin ready; and the little saucepan of gruel (Scrooge has a cold in his head) upon the hob.”
— A Christmas Carol

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups almond milk
• 1/2 cup Irish steel cut oats
• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 6-8 dried cranberries
• 6 fresh mint leaves (not pictured because I thought of them at the last minute)

Makes 2 servings

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Gently heat the almond milk in a small saucepan (heating it too quickly can cause it to condense and stick to the bottom of the pan).
2. When the almond milk has reached a brisk boil, add the oats.
   
3. Allow the oats to boil for about 3-5 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken. You’ll want to keep an eye on it and stir frequently, to prevent the oatmeal from bubbling too high.
4. Lower the heat and let the oats simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so.
5. It’s ready to eat when most of the liquid has boiled away and the oats are soft (they’ll still have a bit of firmness at the center—this is normal for steel cut oats).
   
6. To serve, pour the oatmeal in a bowl and sprinkle on the brown sugar. Top with 3 mint leaves and a few dried cranberries.
   
   

   You can use a drizzle of molasses to get the same flavor, but I like the texture you get from the sugar.

   

   All the aesthetic appeal of a holly garnish, without all that “poison death” business.

7. Serve to your favorite Christmas ghost! 🙂
   

Here’s the Yummly printable!

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From a Christmas Carol: Oatmeal to Warm a Cold Heart

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups almond milk
• 1/2 cup Irish steel cut oats
• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 6-8 dried cranberries
• 6 fresh mint leaves

Instructions

1. Gently heat the almond milk in a small saucepan (heating it too quickly can cause it to condense and stick to the bottom of the pan).
2. When the almond milk has reached a brisk boil, add the oats.
3. Allow the oats to boil for about 3-5 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken. You'll want to keep an eye on it and stir frequently, to prevent the oatmeal from bubbling too high.
4. Lower the heat and let the oats simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so.
5. It's ready to eat when most of the liquid has boiled away and the oats are soft (they'll still have a bit of firmness at the center---this is normal for steel cut oats).
6. To serve, pour the oatmeal in a bowl and sprinkle on the brown sugar. Top with 3 mint leaves and a few dried cranberries.
7. Serve to your favorite Christmas ghost!

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