Pear Breakfast Cobbler

Have you ever heard of "Cupa Cupa Cupa?"

Apprently this dish has been around in the south for quite a while.  

If I had anything to do with my father's side of the family, who are all pure southerners, or had paid attention to "Steel Magnolias" when I was 11 years old, I may have been familiar with this recipe.  Instead I was introduced to this by my friend Jody.

The basic premise is you mix a cup of self-rising flour, a cup of sugar and a 15 oz. can of fruit salad with syrup and bake. 

Of course, I had to try to make this my own with extra nutrients thrown in.  So, here are some of the modifications I made.  

Instead of self-rising flour, I used whole wheat pastry flour and steel cut oats with leavening added in the form of 1 tsp. of salt and a half tsp. of baking powder. 

Instead of a cup of sugar,  I used 2/3 c. of agave nectar.  Instead of a can of fruit salad with syrup, a c. of skim milk and a c. of diced fresh pears. 

And to add more levels of flavor, some freshly grated nutmeg, some ground cinnamon and some ground ginger.  And there you have it!  But, I call this a cobbler because that is how I serve it.

Pear Breakfast Cobbler

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray/grease a Baking Dish

1 c. of diced pear (usually one medium pear)

1 tsp. of ground cinnamon (freshly grated if you are feeling rather culinary)

1/4 tsp. of freshly ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. of ground ginger

1/4 tsp. date sugar

Coat the pears in the spices and date sugar and set aside.

1/4 c. steel cut oats

1 c. skim milk

Mix oats into milk and let them soak.  This helps to soften them.

3/4 c. whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

Whisk these dry ingredients together in a bowl.

Add the milk/oats and the pears and mix together.

Pour mixture into baking dish.

Bake for 45 minutes.

You can serve this as a cobbler with lite whipped cream on top, or as I like it, with a little bit of milk poured on.  When served like this it is almost as if you are having a glorified version of cream of wheat.  It's a great breakfast for a cold morning, almost like a dessert.

It makes about 6 servings, depending on who you are feeding and how much they want.  This WeightWatchers breakdown is based on six servings.

Information on Recipe Nutrition

"Whole wheat pastry flour is produced from soft-wheat and it has a finer texture than whole wheat flour and a high starch content. Not all of the bran and germ portions of the wheat kernel have been removed during the milling process so it is considerably more nutritious than white flour."

-http://www.ehow.com/how_4821333_choose-use-healthier-flours.html

When researchers looked at how much fiber 35,972 participants in the UK Women's Cohort Study ate, they found a diet rich in fiber from whole grains, such as oats, and fruit offered significant protection against breast cancer for pre-menopausal women.

A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine confirms that eating high fiber foods, such as oats, helps prevent heart disease.

Oats, oat bran, and oatmeal contain a specific type of fiber known as beta-glucan. Since 1963, study after study has proven the beneficial effects of this special fiber on cholesterol levels.

-http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=54#healthbenefits

 Click on the image below for information on agave syrup.

Date sugar, not really a sugar at all, is made from ground, dehydrated dates, so it contains all the vitamins, minerals and fiber found in the fruit. It can be used in equal parts for sugar in most recipes, especially baking, and is a great substitute for brown sugar. However, because the tiny pieces won't dissolve, it can't be used to sweeten beverages. Why it's better: Unlike refined or concentrated sweeteners, date sugar is rich in nutrients and is metabolized more slowly.

-http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FKA/is_12_64/ai_94327707/