Ladies and gentlemen, here it is! My official porridge top 10! Out of hundreds of flavours, picking just ten to shine a spotlight on was like choosing a favourite child! However to make the task easier I tried to not just get the best tasting, but the best looking and most unique flavours and also get ten that would give a variety and range so all palettes can be accounted for!
So without further ado, here they are! The shining stars and must try flavours!
10.Cherry Bakewell porridge 11/05/14 Quick back story here for you: When I was about 7 years old my Dad bought a packet of bake well tarts (Mr Kipling's of course) as they were on offer. Upon first try, my siblings and I approved! However my Dad latched onto this approval with his 'multiple purchasing disorder' and 794 packets of bakewell tarts later we were SICK of them and vowed a 'Bakewell ban' for the household. The longstanding boycott was eventually broken on May the 11th 2014 when we stumbled across a packet of reduced finely chopped almonds. "What desserts have almonds in them?" We brainstormed, and the Cherry bakewell tart returned into our lives in porridge form! It's funny how separation can often make the heart grow stronger, well in this case it was DEFINITELY true! Using Kaiserkirscher cherries and chopped almonds to top sweet creamy oats hiding a blob of cherry jam beneath, we had each element of the bakewell tart included! However, this was not without room for improvement (as any bowl is never perfect). The cherries were the issue, I'd recommend you either don't have so many, don't purchase them from Lidl or perhaps splash out on fresh cherries as these were a classic case of European over sweetness! Nonetheless this porridge has one selling point that brings it right up top (aside from it's family history) and that is it's TEXTURE! My goodness don't those almonds do well, when mixed into the oats it created such a texture in the mouth that very few other recipes can provide! Being used to the usual oat consistency had led to complacency and so where perhaps the quality of cherries had let the bowl down, it had been made up for with this NEW EXCITING texture experience! Scraping it into the top ten! Ain't NUTtin' like it ;)
9. Lemon Meringue Pie porridge 21/16/14 You know it's getting serious when there's a BLOW TORCH involved! Yes coming in at number 9 is a bowl of creamy lemon flavoured oats topped with home made lemon curd and soft meringue, caramelised with a blow torch to recreate a dessert into a justifyable breakfast item! Long awaited was this flavour (as it's my sisters FAVOURITE, dessert) many times had we discussed it as an idea, however due to the laborious task of creating the curd and the meringue so early in the morning required a special enough occasion for the effort to be made! And so on my sisters birthday this CLASSIC dessert-porridge was born, and as expected, VERY well received! It had the whole family buzzing! The oats were the thin line between breakfast food and pudding. With it actually succeeding in fulfilling the 'breakfast criteria' I felt it's sweet citrus 'out there' attitude' granted it valid of a red carpet appearance. Not for the faint hearted, lazy or those deprived of a sweet tooth,this porridge made a statement. It pushed the boundaries of breakfast. I like a porridge with guts.
8. Gingerbread men porridge 30/4/14 There is just something so distinctive about the cute sweet/spiced flavour of gingerbread that when combined with the warmth and reassurance of creamy oats, allow this bowl of fairytale yumminess to join the chart at number 8! It may have been a little sneaky of us but this was the third 'ginger' porridge we'd had (not a flavour repeat though i promise!) The first time we used ginger JAM and ginger thin biscuits, the second we used ginger bread LATTE sachets, a big ginger bread man and sprinkles, and this was the third ginger porridge, made using ginger bread syrup to flavour the oats and by FAR the cutest mini gingerbread topping! Third time lucky in this case as the syrup gave a STRONGER and more wholesome ginger flavour that wasn't too sweet like the jam and more apparent than the latte sachet (although I LOVE the coffee hit)! All three had the biscuit element involved which is always a good shout! When you mush them up into the oats after serving, add a little water and microwave it they turn into soft almost cakey pieces. perfect. So in conclusion, if ginger is snuck into the oats three times, you know it must be a winner, and what more could you want for a chilly winter morning than a nice festively spiced breakfast and happy smiley biscuit faces to really make your day!
7.Terry's Chocolate Orange 6/3/14 So you wake up on Christmas morning and reach into that stocking to grab a perfectly wrapped cubed box. You know full well what's in store once you strip off the wrapping but it is that knowledge that really gives you the tingle as what could be a more perfect gift than a TERRY'S CHOCOLATE ORANGE! This, for me, could not be more worthy of top ten status due to it's pure awesomeness and nostalgic properties. Now you may think that this chocolate should really only be for special occasions like Chirstmas (as you are required to not just tap it, but WHACK it) however, did you know that breakfast IS a special occasion? (DUH) and having the segments available in bar form makes life for early morning risers just that bit easier! A porridge PERFECT if you're in that chocolatey mood, made with chocolately oats and topped with segments of a Terry's chocolate orange bar. We considered using chocolate orange powder to flavour the oats but I'm glad we didn't, the perfect segments were flavoursome enough to melt in and create a balanced orange-y flavour that was not to overwhelm. I specifically remember raving about this porridge ALL DAY to everyone so it MUST have been good! This porridge is well worthy of a top ten placement, chocolate orange is such a CLASSIC flavour combination and, Terry, I salute your citrus themed creation. congratulations!
6. Coconut Paradise Porridge Close your eyes, imagine this: you are laid on the beach, listen to the sound of the waves washing over the warm sand, feel the sun shining down warming your whole body and occasionally interrupted by a cool breeze. Now open your eyes and you're back in the dreary cold rainy UK. But don't you worry my little dreamer because I have JUST the thing to give you that holiday feeling with porridge top ten entry number six! Yes, warming oats to beat that british chill, mixed with desiccated coconut for dat texture, kept fresh with coconut yoghurt, and decorated with coconut shavings and just blob of nutella (because it's always wise to accessorise) This 'holiday in a bowl' is just sweet enough to please any porridge lover, yet would appeal to the more 'health conscious' porridge decorator. That is what sets this up to be such a pleaser for me, as in comparison to those more decadent flavours, this creamy mellow classic stands out as the Little Black Dress of the bowls. A flavour that works on all levels and for all occasions. Barbados may not be on the cards any time soon but with the oats just a-waiting in the kitchen, who needs it!
5. Creme egg porridge 20/04/14 Yep, this Easter we brought out the big guns and my goodness it did not disappoint! In my opinion all other Easter treats fall flat and far behind the creme egg. It is just SO SO satisfying and GOOEY and gahhh i'm craving one just writing this! I've heard of many recipes involving these bad boys: creme egg brownies, creme egg crepes so how could we not make creme egg porridge be the feature of our Easter breakfast, and as a special occasion we did not slack on presentation! Chocolately flavoured oats around the edge, sweet yolky-yellow coloured oats in the centre to cradle that holy creme egg, cracked in a resurrecting 'hatching chick' fashion so the viscous fondant centre could ooze out and spread it's love around the whole bowl and give that distinctive sweet creme egg flavour. A very unique, festive, distinctive, unforgettable flavour that is a head turner and stomach pleaser. The Lady Gaga of all the oats and the current runner up in the 'likes' department lands this sweet handsome bowl in at number 5!
4. White chocolate fudge porridge Bow down before her majesty the queen of porridges, A royal appearance on our oaty red carpet at number four is white chocolate fudge! If you're looking for luxury then this is the bowl for you. creamy white chocolate flavour oats that almost shimmer as if laden with real diamonds and crowned with a glistening white chocolate flavour fudge chunk tiara which melts magically into the porridge mixture creating a sweet swirl of rich decadence throughout! Pefectly suited to those with a sweet tooth, however if you deem yourself royal enough to venture into the land of nobility then I suggest you go all out with the quality of your fudge, because scrimping on that fudge would only warrant you royalty on the same level as Burger King or Dairy Queen, shamming that bowl to an 'average' status, so choose wisely my friend and it shall not disappoint for when you're looking for a porridge that says "yeah, you are worth it".
3. Espresso Bean porridge 17/06/14 WAKE UP! we're at porridge number three and i tell you, it's an eye opener! If you are in need of that morning caffeine boost then there are a few options from our porridge list, however this one leads the way to be the coffee BOSS! Oats cooked with strong, freshly brewed coffee and cocoa powder to create that sexy, sweet yet sophisticated mocha flavour that beckons in any coffee lover with it's husky voice sensual smell. However, like the chocolate sprinkles that finish off the head of any good cup of coffee, this bowl also required a crowning element in order for its status to be truly recognised, and in this case we opted for some rather pretentious chocolate! For weeks I had been swooning at the MADÉCASSE bars and as a packaging porn addict, it was only a matter of time before the rich, dark chocolate encased within was to grace us with it's presence at the breakfast table. Within the 44% Cocoa chocolate were pieces of coffee bean, that added both a kick of flavour and texture and a subtle sweetness of caramel-y notes. When the dark decadence melted into the oats i could practically hear the low, slow, lustful saxaphone music playing then BAM coffee hit to get that mind in gear and set for the day! Caution, this flavourmay not be suitable for children, expectant mothers or those with low levels of sophistication.
2.OreOatmeal 6/6/14 I'm sorry but how could this NOT feature in the a-list of oats? The good ole' Oreo. A biscuit so self assured and confident in it's own unique flavour, structure and purpose that it has all the other biscuits questioning their own existence! However here is my dilemma: Oreo biscuit oats, or Oreo Cadbury chocolate oats?! yes we have had both, no it was not a flavour repeat, thank you very much more of a loop hole in the porridge contract that allowed us to sneak this fella into our bowl once again. We first had the biscuit version way back at the beginning (January 31st 2014) so making the comparison to this one is hard to judge, HOWEVER i distinctly remember both versions being an absolute PLEASURE to consume and therefore a clear celebrity in the oat world! The biscuit version offered more chunky wholesome pieces of Oreo however the Cadbury's one had a creamier chocolately-ness to it! On both occasions they were paired with choco-oats so it's all down to texture preference and their is only one way to decide your winner...give them a try! HECK, try them both TOGETHER! Chocolate AND biscuits! YoOo (you only oreo once) All I know is that where Oreo and porridge combine the world becomes a better place!
1.Lotus Biscuit porridge! 25/05/14 Yes we've finally got there, porridge number one on the chart! And I sure hope it does not disappoint! I couldn't quite believe what I was seeing when I first clapped eyes on this jar of magic when scrolling through Instagram.....biscuits....in a SPREAD form?! Do the laws of physics allow for this? Having pondered over it's existence (and my own) for some time we concluded that, When in doubt: STOP, DROP and BOWL! So we scooped up a jar ASAP. Little did we know what an impression this little guy would make on our lives. Now any good porridger will tell you that it is key to know your ingredients well prior to usage, so obviously we had to sample the spread rigorously... OH. MY. GOSH. Having been a Lotus biscuit fan previously I had no doubt about it's relevance but all expectations were exceeded! Like a caramelly jar of smooth silky liquid gold! One small spoonful and I was hooked. It workd on toast, with icecream, in warm milk and so we concluded one thing. LET THE PORRIDGE BEGIN! That's right, to our creamy oats we stirred in a GENEROUS helping of the god of all spreads until the mixture turned a golden brown hue. Then obviously our commitment to a flavour meant that we couldn't miss out the textured element so using the mother of the spread itself we topped it with the classic Lotus biscuits (most commonly used as a delightful dunking biscuit)! however, despite having faith in both elements individually, I was dubious about how the carb-on-carb-on-carb relationship would fair but my worries were soon put to rest when the first spoonful met my lips..... I moment that when remembered I still get weak at the knees. There is no other flavour like it, my tastebuds say "caramelised biscuit" but my brain says "smooth porridge texture?" and my stomach says "PRAISE THE LORD!" This bowl is deserved of a number one spot due to it's unique and outstanding flavour, texture, AND visual qualities. It really is the complete package If you are sure to be generous with the spread in the oats then I can tell you it is WORTH it and yes this is a MUST TRY!! Biscuit spread, I am so happy you have come into my life, especially during my time of need. Although at first I may have doubted you and your uncomprehendable existence, your ability to work both individually and as a team player in the bowl has shown what a true hero you can be and I am forever thankful of your existence and I hope we meet again soon x