Growing up in the country with miles between houses, trick-or-treating by foot was not really feasible (nor was biking in a costume). Instead, my Dad would drive my younger brother and I along the country roads making as many stops as he could and waiting in the car as we knocked on doors and worked our magic. We would travel around 3 different lakes before retiring back at home to spill our pillowcases full of candy (yes, pillowcases!). My brother, clever as a fox, always ended up with more loot than me. He figured out that if he left his pillowcase in the car and went to the door with a tiny Jack-o-latern pail (which he usually left empty or with one or two feeble candies) it would look pathetic next to my massive and bursting-full pillowcase and the neighbors would naturally take pity on him and give him twice the amount of candy. It worked like a charm. Back in the car, he would dump his loot into his pillowcase and start all over again with an empty bucket at the next house.
All I could do was admire the kid’s ingenuity (although I really should have been asking for a cut of the spoils since his success depended on my compliance – I was half the act).
Macadamia nut is another pull from the past. In the summers of my youth, when my Dad would generously (and possibly foolishly) lend me his car to bring a gaggle of girls from Montreal to Maine on our annual end-of-summer boondoggles, his sole request — beyond coughing up for the gas — was to bring him back ‘some of those cookies with macadamias in them’ by which he meant, Pepperidge Farm Sausalito Cookies (this was before PF was available in Canada).
Now I happen to think that pumpkin and macadamia is a wicked combination and as a dedicated morning porridge eater, I love switching things up and keeping our morning breakfasts interesting.
And there are few things quite as compelling, delicious and mystical my friends as brown butter (or beurre noisette as it is also known – poetic and descriptive).
Have you made brown butter before? It will only take you a moment to master it and you may be amazed to discover how it transforms the taste of traditional butter into a husky, nutty flavor enhancing the taste of sweet or savory dishes. Even using a small amount of butter as I’ve done here delivers beautiful flavor and works wonders in this warming autumn spiced oatmeal.
To make brown butter you simply melt butter in a sturdy pot over low-medium heat using a whisk to facilitate even cooking. Do not leave the butter unattended – the process only takes a minute and you need to watch carefully to prevent burning.
As the butter cooks, the fat and milk proteins separate and the color of the butter progresses from yellow to golden to brown in a short period of time. You will notice the butter foaming right before it develops a brown color and once that happens, you want to remove the pan from the heat to prevent scorching.
Once the brown butter has cooled, taste a little to discover what all the fuss is about…
I hope you enjoy this warming and delicious autumn oatmeal. Despite its unique ingredients, it’s very easy to assemble and worth the adventure. Happy Haunts!
- 2 cups 100% whole grain oatmeal (steel cut or rolled) certified gluten-free
- 1 cup pumpkin purée (not the sweet pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground ginger
- 1 ounce macadamia (about 8 nuts), chopped
- 1 pear, cubed
- 1 cup milk beverage of choice
- Cook oats on stove top according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, in a separate small and sturdy pot, melt butter and continue to heat until it begins to froth (the milk product separating from the fat) and the butter turns brown, remove from heat immediately. Be sure to stir or whisk continually as you cook the butter and watch carefully for the color change, to prevent burning. Allow the beurre noisette to cool slightly.
- Add pumpkin purée to the beurre noisette as well as: maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, mixing to combine (I like to use a small whisk). Sample and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Once oatmeal is cooked, divide among 4 bowls and swirl in ¼ portion of the pumpkin beurre noisette into each bowl. Top with milk, pear, a sprinkle of nuts and any other toppings as desired.
Unsweetened Oats: buying the oats unsweetened allows you to decide how much and what type of sweetener you would like to add to your cereal, rather than the manufacturer. I am not a fan of instant oat cereals (powdered oats) because, even when they are 100% whole grain, these cereal packets almost always have sugar and sodium added to them.
Are Oats really Gluten Free? - pure oats do not contain gluten however many commercially sold oats do due to cross-contamination issues. If you are gluten sensitive or have celiac disease, be sure to seek out certified 'gluten-free' oatmeal.
Cinnamon: cinnamon is not only delicious it has also been shown to have a positive effect on blood glucose levels. Sprinkle cinnamon over your cereal or yogurt, adding it to smoothies, soups, stews and baked goods, as well as swirling it into tea and coffee.
Seasonings: "pumpkin spice" is always an option but if you're sulfite sensitive, you may wish to skip it (commercial brands commonly use the preservative) and simply create your own blend as I have done here. Pumpkin pie spice is generally made up of a combination of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice but cinnamon/nutmeg will get you mostly there.
Looks delicious! I love anything pumpkin!
I had to laugh reading your Halloween story this morning! Mr. N talked about doing the same thing this year! No joke. That is hilarious! Miss A had a big bag and he was going to have me or Mike hold his bag while he took around a small pumpkin. He told me it was because it gets too hard to carry a bag around. I now wonder if he had ulterior motives. Ha! The only reason he opted not to go this route was the rain would have ruined the candy in the pumpkin, so he went with the bag. Your oatmeal sounds fabulous Kelly. I’ve never had browned butter, or butter, in oatmeal. Fantastic! I bet it’s beautiful with the macadamia nuts. Would love a bowl this morning in fact. Mmm!
oh kelly your story had me giggling so honestly at the amazing innocence we embody as children. lovely recipe, it’s so beautiful to see pumpkin paired with macadamia. and to consider it breakfast with browned butter (how beautiful its name truly is!)? i’m right there, thank you for sharing! ♥
hello Danielle… yes, pumpkin and macadamia is one delicious duo — I had to hold back on the sage mind you for the ultimate autumn trifecta O:) the hazelnut butter meshes beautifully with the pumpkin here… a heavenly brekky. x
It was so fun to read about your childhood, Kelly! I had no idea that you grew up in the country. Silicon Valley must be quite a change for you ;) Also, did you grow up speaking French?
Oatmeal is my breakfast of choice in the cooler months. I view it as the perfect start to the day – healthy, filling, delicious, and warming. Your version is so special yet so simple to whip up. I have some leftover pumpkin puree in the fridge right now, so I am going to try this out this week!
Good morning Julia :) my Mom is French Canadian and I did all of my primary schooling in French — one of the things I am most grateful for about my upbringing.
Funny thing, although I was raised in the country, I left home when I was 16 to pursue my studies in the city and have been an urban dweller my entire adult life up until our recent move to CA. So the little town we live in here in the Silicon Valley is actually quite quiet relative to what I’m accustomed to. The big change from Canada is the CLIMATE :D Thank you for your kind words about the porridge. I hope you enjoy the pumpkin version if you give it a try, x
I love your Halloween story… of our 100+ trick-or-treaters this year I’d guess around half had pillowcases, and quite a lot had those pumpkin containers. I knew there would be a lot of kids so if they were trying your brother’s trick, it didn’t work as I was giving EXACTLY one candy bar per kid. I used up the cookable pumpkin on pumpkin soup, so no pumpkin oatmeal for us!
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
wow, that’s a lot of trick-or-treaters – how fun! I must say I appreciate your approach to distributing candy too… I find myself giving out big mittfulls to everyone and quickly running out (bad planning) but the kids are so darn cute… Thanks so much for stopping by!
I loooove beurre noisette. It’s obligatory for financiers (at least for my recipe from a famous French chef’s book) and I love to inhale it thinking how hazelnutty it smells… This is such a luxurious and creative oatmeal! I bet with your delicious food creations you might even make me start liking pumpkin ;-)
beurre noisette is new to my cooking Sissi (not sure why it took me so long to make it) but I must say, I rather like its properties :D I do remember your beautiful financiers! Yes,… haha, pumpkin puree is rather tasteless en soi but you know a little beurre noisette goes a long way to transforming it into magic :))
Kelly, my big brother used to do the same thing! He always outsmarted his younger sisters when it came to Halloween, including the pillow case! He also somehow knew the houses that gave out the most candy! Then he would never share when we got home. One year my parents split the candy up evenly among the kids… I think that was the last year we were all together before my big brother left home. Oh those memories are powerful! I’m loving this pumpkin oatmeal, with the macadamia beurre noisette. I have browned butter, but don’t do it often enough… I forget about it! Macadamia are fabulous little nuts that are so rich and flavorful. Pairing them with pumpkin oatmeal is quite delicious! Thank you for this, Kelly! Have a beautiful weekend!!
another sneaky brother in our midst (and with a pillowcase yet!) now that I’ve discovered brown butter there may be no turning back Traci ;) I’m smelling and tasting it everywhere and craving its luxurious qualities — soon it may turn up in my bath water :)
what a sneaky little brother! you may have gotten less candy, but i bet your teeth ended up better :) i have been loving macadamia nuts lately and can’t wait to try this oatmeal! brilliant idea with the brown butter, and you taught me a fancy new word. :) xo
sneaky is right ;p and isn’t ‘beurre noisette’ the prettiest? almost lyrical :) xx
Haha, what a great story! I could picture it all unfolding from your description; sounds like you and your brother had a lot of fun together and shared some great Halloween memories. I have never made beurre noisette and I’m very intrigued by your description, especially the mystical part ;) I’m wondering what I’ve been missing! I will give this method a try and let you know. ps. I too love Sausalito cookies :) thank you for sharing your memories and beautiful writing with us.
Sausalito cookies for the win :) I hope you enjoy the beurre noisette if you give it a try Madelaine.
Oh how clever siblings can be. The thing that caught my attention is the use of pillowcases. You never see them anymore and they were the standard Halloween bag. Cute story Kelly. :) This is a steelcut breakfast that will be found in this kitchen very soon! With the cooler weather we are back eating steelcuts and love the many possibilities. You recipe is just downright awesome Kelly! All I need to do is pick up another pumpkin and some macadamia nuts and I’m there. Thanks for sharing Darlin! Have a wonderful weekend!
phew! I thought it was just us doing excess on the pillowcases… glad to know it was the generational norm :o) I don’t know where I would be without oatmeal… truly my favorite way to start the day. Have a fun weekend MJ !
I don’t know, I think your brother has some stiff competition in the clever department; this recipe is ingenious. I would have never thought to use brown butter in oatmeal but with your pumpkin pie filling, it makes so much sense. Love this!
Ah, thanks so much Tess! These cold and dark autumn mornings have me thinking of comforting, warm ingredients… :) glad you like the idea.
What a cute story! I do think you deserved if not half at least 30% of his loot, after all he could not have done it without his adorable sister, right?
the combination of pumpkin and macadamia is new to me – but I KNOW it will be outstanding… and the colors! wow… I am in love…
Happy Halloween
(I am dressing for the first time as a man… Charles Chaplin will never be as short! ;-)
right you are… my huge bag was necessary next to his puny one to pull off the gag :D
I think you’ll make a smashing Charlie Chaplin (who, by the by, was fairly modest in stature…wasn’t he?) Have a blast Sally!
Oh, that is priceless!! Your brother is a genius and I agree, you were a key part of his success – do you think you can collect retroactively? ;). What a great story; loved reading.
Macadamia is a nut that I rarely come across and should really get to know…and the beurre noisette sounds utterly divine especially on a cold fall morning. I have heard of brown butter but frankly didn’t really know what it was until I read your post. Combined with the pumpkin here, I imagine it must be delicious. Leave it to you to come up with such a creative interpretation of oatmeal Kelly. This is gorgeous.
great idea Clare! I’ll start an action presto – if I know my brother he’ll have a fresh stash following the weekend :) hope you enjoy the beurre noisette if you give it a try! so simple…worth the experiment.