A little gourmet good morning for those on the go

Published 11:56 pm Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Sometimes you get in a hurry and run out of time to fix a good breakfast. How about trying these recipes the night before so you can still grab and go?

The only difference is, it’s better than a breakfast bar or pop tart.

Of course, if you have the time on a weekend, eating the muffins hot with the marmalade and butter is the best morning wake-up call you can get. And the juice cocktail is so refreshing.

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Oatmeal Muffins

1 cup milk

1 cup quick cooking oats

1 egg

one-fourth cup vegetable oil

1 cup all-purpose flour

one-fourth cup white granulated sugar

one-half cup brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

one-half tsp salt

2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners. In a small bowl, combine milk and oats. Let soak for 15 minutes. In a separate bowl, beat together egg and oil; stir in oatmeal mix. In a third bowl, sift together flour, sugars, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir flour mix into wet ingredients, just until combined. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups until two-thirds full. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

Sweet Orange Marmalade

4 large seedless oranges

2 lemons

8 cups water

Cut the oranges and lemons in half cross-wise, then into very thin half-moon slices. Discard any seeds. Place the sliced fruit and their juices into a stainless steel pot. Add 8 cups water and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Cover and allow to stand overnight at room temperature.

The next day, bring the mixture back to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 2 hours. Turn the heat up to medium and boil gently, stirring often, for another 30 minutes. Skim off any foam that forms on the top. Cook the marmalade until it reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer. It will be a golden orange color.

Pour the marmalade into clean, hot Mason jars; wipe the rims thoroughly with a clean damp paper towel, and seal with the lids. Store in the pantry for up to a year.

Until next time, have fun in the kitchen, experiment and indulge your cravings.

Laura Clements is the pastry chef at Napoleon’s.