Steel Cut Oats

Steel Cut Oats

After working on homemade almond orgeat and understanding the basis and history of it, I decided to try some other versions. Originally a grain based beverage using barley, Orgeat, or Horchata, it is made with rice in Latin America, Chufa in Spain, and widely known using Almonds for that important “secret” ingredient in a classic Mai Tai.

I was experimenting with different nuts and grains for making orgeat at this time and I needed to come up with a non-nut orgeat for a competition that included judge Bridget Albert who has a nut allergy. I decided to try oats and it worked wonderfully.

It is a great base syrup for many tropical or hot drinks. It adds a creamy texture without being dairy and finishes clean with no cloying texture. I’ve mixed it with Tequila, Bourbon, Cognac, Rum and Gin with great success. It’s a lot more versatile than one might think. It is also great with water shaken on ice and served in a tall glass. A very refreshing N/A summer drink.

The following recipe is very simple and worth the small effort to make it at home.  You wont need a ton of oats to make this work as you can see from the following recipe.

Cooking oats and water

In large saucepan add oats and water. Always give yourself room to work with in sauce pans or any pans. Slowly cook the oats on lowest heat setting, covered on stove top burner. Stir often. Do not bring to a boil or simmer.

This should be heated for 3-4 hours.

When done (the oats will be fat and tender) turn off heat and allow to rest to room temperature. Refrigerate this until cool. Remove Cinnamon pieces. With a hand immersion blender, blend this mixture well for about 3 minutes. Let rest for 5-10 minutes and blend again for 2 minutes. Fine strain this into a container that you will now add the sugar to.

Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the cinnamon from the jelly bag back to this mixture. Stir. Now fine strain again and you are done. Keep this refrigerated for up to 6 weeks.

It should have a creamy texture like milk, not gelatinous or gooey.

Hand Blender

This can be used in place of almond orgeat for those with nut allergies. It can be used mixed with water and shaken for a delicious and refreshing non-alcoholic long drink in the summer. It is fantastic in many original cocktails as well. It mixes wonderfully with Tequila, Whiskey, Brandy, Rum.

One of my favorite ways to use this Oat Cream is in an apple butter, hot buttered rum. It makes the hot buttered rum that is satisfying. Creamy, silky smooth texture.. Just what you want when coming in from the cold.

Another simple cocktail/cooler is Rum or Tequila, the Steel Cut Oat Cream/Horchata, fresh lime

Cooking apple butter, oat orgeat, cream butter, water

Add all ingredients to sauce pan. Bring to a simmer. Stir frequently.

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Autumn in the Midwest leading to the holidays means it’s time for hot drinks. Apple Butter is a great fall ingredient to Hot Toddies, Hot Buttered Rums and hot teas…as well as toasted muffins, waffles and pancakes.

From start to finish it will take about 48 hours in your oven, but the concentrated and caramelized flavor of the apples and spices is well worth the time. The ingredients are simple. The process is the magic. Investing the time and attention to bring something special out of these simple ingredients is well worth it. It will also make your home smell like spiced apple pie for a few days. Not bad dividends.

Bamix Immersion Blender

Kuhn-Rikor Peeler

Cinnamon, Clove, Allspice, Mace

Apple Slicer/Corer

Cleaned Apples in Dutch oven

Peels, ends, spices, cider

Strained spiced juice

Cooking apples with spiced juice

Cook one more hour covered. After one hour you will remove the top and stir and return to the oven uncovered. Lower heat in oven to 250 degrees. This will now enter the longest portion  of the process.

Periodic stirring is necessary to keep the apple butter uniform in the slow dehydration and carmelization process. The apples will eventually reduce by about 2/3. When the top of the apple butter begins to brown, it is time to stir. Probably about once every 30-45 minutes or so.

Pureed apples cooking with top off

Overnight the oven should be set low about 200 degrees or turned off if you plan to be asleep for a long time or are away. You can set the oven to 200 again in the morning.

The apple butter will continue to brown, thicken and reduce.

Apple butter midway through process

This process cannot be rushed by turning up the heat. There is too much of a chance that the apple butter will burn. You can turn off the oven if you will not be home for several hours. You can resume the process when you return. The Apple Butter will be chocolate brown when down.

Finished Apple Butter

Apple Butter in clean 12 oz jars