Baked barley porridge with plums

Cook barley porridge in water (or in water with milk). It is not necessary to wash the barley groats before cooking. The groats should be covered with cold water (take 3 cups of water per 1 cup of groats) and brought to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat.

After boiling, cook the porridge on low heat until thickened. For more detailed instructions on how to cook barley porridge, you can check here.

While the porridge is boiling, you can prepare the apple puree. To do this, you can use either an oven, a steamer, or a microwave. If using a steamer, remove the skin and core of the apples beforehand. If baking the apples in the oven or microwave, only remove the core. Bake the apples, for example, in the microwave at 800 Watts for 4 to 6 minutes (the cooking time will depend on the size, juiciness, and ripeness of the apples).

Wait for the apples to cool slightly, remove the skin, extract the pulp and mash it into a smooth puree.

Wash the plums, cut them in half and remove the pits, then cut each half in half again.

Mix the cooled porridge with the warm apple puree, eggs, sugar, milk, and a pinch of cinnamon. Stir everything until all the ingredients are fully combined. It is important that both the porridge and the puree are warm or already cooled, but not hot, so that the eggs do not curdle when added to the mixture.

Grease a small baking dish with vegetable or coconut oil (or line it with parchment paper so that no oil is needed). Transfer the porridge mixture with the additions into the dish. Arrange the plum pieces on top, slightly pressing them into the soft mixture.

Bake the porridge in a preheated oven at 180-200 degrees Celsius for 20-25 minutes. The baked oatmeal with plums is best enjoyed warm. You can drizzle it with honey to make it sweeter, but even without it, the porridge is delicious and juicy thanks to the apple puree and ripe plum flesh. To prepare this healthy and tasty breakfast, you can use oatmeal cooked the night before. In the morning, just add the remaining ingredients and bake in the oven. It takes significantly less time to prepare.