This morning was screaming out for a piping-hot bowl of this sweet but sharp porridge, just like Nanny used to make. The brown sugar adds more depth to the flavour and the cinnamon warms your belly just a little bit more. Go on, before you brave the ice!

Ingredients

• 200g porridge oats
• 250ml milk (I like my porridge stodgy, if you don’t add a little more milk!)
• pinch of salt
• 3tsp brown sugar
• mixture of berries (i used a handful of each of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries)
• 1tbsp granulated sugar
• 1tsp ground cinnamon

In a non-stick frying pan, chuck in your berries, granulated sugar and cinnamon with about 100ml water. Put the heat on high and let the berries bubble and burst, stirring now and again so they don’t burn. When the berries have mostly turned to a mushy mess, remove from the heat. Next in a saucepan, lightly toast your oats before adding your milk, it’ll give you a better flavour than if you don’t, but that’s your call. When the oats are ready, pour in a third of the milk, stir and let it thicken before adding the rest of the milk. When the porridge has thickened to your liking add in the salt, stir and pour into a bowl. I like to pour a bit of extra milk onto mine before scattering over your brown sugar and a generous spoonful of your compote. Wolf it down and don’t forget your scarf!