baked oats with pistachios, dried figs, and honey

Dense, chewy, and cake-like, these oat bars are always a favorite in my home. I reserve them for busy weekends when visiting guests stumble out of their slumber and into the kitchen for breakfast. They cut away a square, then top it with honey or yogurt and more fruit. It’s a favorite of my father, and one I always make especially for him when he visits—sometimes substituting walnuts for pistachios, or apricots and raisins for figs.

SERVES: 6 TO 8

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 cups steel-cut oats
• 1 cup pistachios
• ¼ cup yogurt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon finely ground unrefined sea salt
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup honey
• 1 orange
• 1 cup chopped dried Mission figs
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Spoon the oats into a large mixing bowl, toss in the pistachios, and cover with warm water by 2 inches. Stir in the yogurt and cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. Set the bowl in a warm spot in your kitchen and allow the oats and pistachios to soak for at least 8 and up to 12 hours.
2. Drain the oat mixture in a fine-mesh sieve, rinse well, and return it to the mixing bowl.
3. Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with butter.
4. Stir the cinnamon, salt, eggs, milk, and honey into the oat mixture until well blended. Finely grate the zest of the orange, placing it in a bowl. Cut the orange in half crosswise and squeeze the juice into the bowl holding the zest. Stir both the orange zest and juice into the oat mixture, then fold in the figs. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top.
5. Cut the butter into small pieces and scatter them over the surface.
6. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until golden brown at the edges and slightly wobbly at the center. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Baked oats will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. (To reheat leftovers, cut a square of the baked oats. Drop a tablespoon of butter into a skillet and heat it over medium heat until frothy. Place the oat square in the skillet and cook until warmed through, about 3 minutes.)