Oh wow, breakfast has been changed forever.

Let me explain the story behind this post.

For the past two years I’ve been living with her, I’ve witnessed my health-nut, super athlete roommate Brittany making fancy, morning-energizer breakfasts.  This means that while I’m sitting like a schlump in my purple Asian pajamas (don’t ask) eating Cheerios or peanut butter toast, she is cooking up a storm in the kitchen.  At 7:30 a.m.  Amazing, right?

Most often, this kitchen mania would result in what I now know to call a breakfast bake.

Informal definition:
Breakfast bake (noun) – some huge chunk of baked item that partially resembles a cake; in Britt’s case, this bake often includes spoonfuls of (my forgotten and leftover from making muffins) pumpkin puree, an impressively grainy looking flour, and some strange nut butter and/or coconut substance that she has bought from the food shelves of Winners.

Until today, I had never given these morning meals much thought but, with my rebirth as a fairly healthy person after a month of pure gluttony, I figured I should try one out.

Right as I decided to concoct my own recipe, low and behold, Britt posts hers on her awesome new blog, B Out There.  How does that saying go?  Oh right, great minds think alike.  Even cross continent (B is from Whitehorse), our brains are somehow in sync.

I must also give credit to the originator of the breakfast bake, Ashley from the blog the Edible Perspective.  Thank you for bringing this morning meal into my life.

I knew I wanted to include peanut butter and apple in my breakfast bake, so I fiddled around with Britt’s instructions until I got my adapted Hilary recipe.  A few key differences involve me using whole wheat flour instead of whole grain flour (this was because I forgot the name of the correct flour in a moment of Bulk Barn panic), my use of normal milk instead of the bizarre I-will-never-buy almond milk, and my addition of chocolate chips as a topping (because COME ON, everything is better with chocolate).

One quick tangent: UH, what the heck are chia seeds?  I bought some just for the sake of being fair to the recipe, but they just kind of look like poppy seeds (and I never want to see a poppy seed ever again, for reasons that only my roommates will understand).  Okay, Wikipedia tells me that they’re healthy and chalk full of omega-3’s.  I guess that’s cool.

End result?

A major case of the omnomnom’s.  The bake is the perfect energizer before my morning bike rides, so I am going to make them loads.  For the record, this recipe actually makes quite a large breakfast cake, so tiny appetites could probably share.  As for me?  No sharing.  Just me and a very large glass of milk.  Mornings just got a hell of a lot better.

As always, see recipe after the jump!

Recipe: Peanut butter apple breakfast bake
– ¼ cup whole wheat flour
– ½ tsp cinnamon
– ¼ tsp baking powder
– 2 tbsp chia seeds
– 1 egg worth of egg whites (about 2 tbsp if you’re using the carton stuff)
– 1 tbsp milk
– ½ tbsp vanilla
– Half a banana, mashed
– 2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
– 1 apple, diced
– Extra peanut butter, chocolate chips, brown sugar, chopped nuts, etc. to top your finished product, if you want

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, baking powder, chia seeds).

In a smaller bowl, whisk together egg white, milk and vanilla.

In another small bowl (as you can see, I have an issue with the amount of dishes I use) mash the banana with the peanut butter, until a smooth consistency is achieved.  Joyously consume the other half of the banana.

Add the egg white mixture and pb/banana mixture into the dry ingredients.  Add the diced apple.

Mix all ingredients together with a Piggy Wiggy spatula (thanks Ariel!) or some other less fun kitchen utensil of your choice.

Scrape the mixture into a small Pyrex or other microwave-friendly bowl, and pop into the microwave for 3 min. 15 sec.  Note: The cooking time will vary based on your microwave (e.g. Britt only zapped hers for 1:45).  You’ll know your breakfast bake is done when the top is no longer gooey and bounces back with the touch of your finger.

Plop the cake upside down onto your plate and top the finished product with whatever you want.  I think I’m going to try some sort of syrup tomorrow.

Makes one hungry person serving.