Baked Oatmeal Almond Minis

I had baked oatmeal for the first time a few years ago at a little bakery nestled in Pennsylvania Amish country.  (Admittedly, I hadn't previously considered the possibilities of Amish baking.)  Shaped in a cake pan and served in squares, usually with warm milk and berries, I loved this breakfast dish instantly.  I've tried a few recipes, and this Taste of Home version is pretty tasty.  But at the same time, I yearned for a more granola-like version that could just as easily double as an on-the-run morning snack.  So: I turned Amish baked oatmeal into these Baked Oatmeal Almond Minis, shaped into "bites" with a mini-muffin pan.  And, unlike the traditional Amish version, these Minis omit the butter, giving them a healthier edge.

Normally, I wouldn't pair Lou Reed with breakfast (surely, he'd match better with a recipe for a liquid Night Cap), but it seems natural to line up these breakfast bites alongside the Velvet Underground & Nico's "Sunday Morning".

Ingredients:

--1 1/2 c. old-fashioned rolled oats

--1/4 c. dark brown sugar

--1/4 c. honey

--1/4 c. shredded, sweetened coconut

--1/2 c. sliced almonds

--1 tsp. salt

--1 tsp. cinnamon

--1 large egg

--1 large egg yolk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine oats, dark brown sugar, honey, coconut, almonds, salt, and cinnamon.  Mix in the egg and egg yolk.

Using "butter" spray, spray/grease the cups in a 24-count mini muffin tray.  Spoon approx. 1 tbsp. of the oat mixture into each cup, or enough so that the cup is "just full."

Bake for approx. 15 min, or just until the edges begin to look golden.  Remove, allow to cool, and then just pop them out of the mini muffin cups and serve.  They're great on their own or in a bowl with milk.