Huckleberry Baked Oatmeal

 
I've got a case of the Novembers.

The Novemburrrs.

The Nurrrverrrmburrrrrrs.

It's cold.  It's gray.  It's dank.

Today I had to turn on the lights at 3:30 pm.  3:30 pm! 

What is this madness?

The last of my farmer's market huckleberries are all I have to see me through it.

(I mean, apart from a loving husband and darling baby and hot showers and electric lights [Thanksgiving!]...not to mention my space heater that I sometimes think I love at least as much as any of those other things.)

Here is a snack that will stick to your ribs.

Baked oatmeal!  Have you tried it?

It's sorta like a muffin, but more oats.  A little denser.  More fruit packed in there, maybe, depending on how you like your muffins.

A little healthier, I daresay.

 I made them for my toddler.  He loved them, until he got a bite of a sour berry.  He didn't want anything to do with them after that.

But you know what, toddler?  Huckleberries are good.  They have to fight grizzly bears to get them.

That's how you know.

That's what you get with the Novembers.  Wisdom about bears.

Huckleberry Baked Oatmeal (adapted from Food.com)

1 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups huckleberries (washed, but don't worry about the tiny stems...they dissolve while baking)

Preheat the oven to 375°F.  Line a 12 cup muffin tin with muffin papers.

In a medium bowl, mix the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine.

In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the egg, syrup, milk, butter, and vanilla.  Fold quickly and lightly into the dry mix, careful not to overmix.  Fold in the huckleberries.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is browned and the oats have set.

Let cool before serving.