Apples are one of my absolute favourite foods, I can always remember the first time I craved an apple instead of a bag of sweets – that was when I knew that my healthy eating habits where starting to stick! When I was young, the apple we usually had was a golden delicious. My Nana first introduced me to different variety of apples, her favourite being the small olive green coloured russet apples. Now, I adore pink lady, braeburns and jazz apples. Recently, I’ve also become enamoured by pears too.
I was very excited when Sainsburys asked if I would like to take part in their apple and pear challenge, I received an Orchard Assortment apple and pear box contain four different English apples and two different English pear varieties:
The apples included Jazz, Kanzi, Cameo and Royal Gala. The pears included Conference and Comice.
I’ve made a few different recipes with apples and pears before including my caramel apple cake and pear, ginger and dark chocolate cake, but I had never combined the two ingredients before. Although it may not feel like it in recent days, spring is fast approaching so I thought I’d create a simple spring breakfast and try something new – bircher muesli!
- 1 cup of porridge oats - I used Scottish but jumbo would also work well
- 1 cup natural yoghurt - I used Sainsbury's Low Fat Organic Yoghurt
- 3/4 cup of milk - I used unsweetened almond milk
- 1 firm pear - I used the Conference
- 2 apples - I used the Royal Gala and the Cameo
- 4 dried figs
- Extra apple, pear and dried figs to garnish
- Combine the oats, yoghurt and milk. Grate the apples and pears and mix in with the oaty mixture. Chop the dried figs and stir in. Leave in the fridge overnight before serving. Serve with additional slices of apple, pear and figs for decoration.
- This will give you 3 generous servings at around 330 calories each. The Bircher will last in the fridge, covered, for at least 3 days. It may separate with some apple and pear juice, but just stir it all together before serving.
Bircher muesli is basically a slightly posher version of overnight oats. As the oats are soaked in the milk and yoghurt, they thicken, swell up and become amazingly creamy. This soaking process, along with the beneficial bacteria in the yoghurt, makes the oats easier to digest.
The grated apple and pear give the muesli a delicate sweetness and the addition of the dried figs a more jammy tartness.
If it was a cold day, you could warm this gently on the stove, however I really enjoy it’s cool creaminess – perfect for spring or summer time!
You could also create this recipe with different fruits – personally I think its having some grated fruit in there that makes this work, but you could keep either the grated apple or pear and add a different accompaniment such as cherries, blueberries or raspberries.
Have you tried Bircher muesli before? What is your favourite variety of apple and pear?
Pink lady’s are definitely my favourite! :-) I’ve had Bircher muesli before and loved it – don’t have it enough though.
Pink Lady’s are lush aren’t they :-)
I love overnight oats..and this gives me a superb idea to add grated apple/pear! Honeycrisp is a strong favorite. I never fail to be amazed when coming along yet another ‘breed’ of apple!
I wish we would get Honeycrisp apples here!
Bircher Müsli! It’s been way too long since I’ve eaten this and it sparks memories of the best ever version I ate at the unlikeliest of places: a hotel breakfast buffet.
It’s tough picking favourite fruit – impossible, actually – but some of mine are Elstar, Pink Lady and Boskoop [apples] and Abate pears.
That must have been a nice surprise at a hotel! I can remember having the best greek yoghurt ever in a hotel. I’ve never heard of some of those apples and the pear, will have to look out for them in future!
Ahh apples…I’m not sure I could choose a favourite type. I love golden delicious, braeburn, pink ladies, gala…really as long as it’s not granny smiths (way too sour) and they’re lovely and crisp then I’m good.
By the way those bowls are gorgeous!!
Thanks, I got them off eBay I love vintage crockery!
Laura, this sounds super yummy. Have ever made a vegan version. I wondered if a mixture of coconut milk and almond milk would work? I might give it a go and report back. Pears are totally my jam just now!
I have just had a comment from a vegan on my Facebook page and she uses soy or coconut milk yoghurt :-) Coconut milk in place of both the yoghurt and the almond milk should get the consistency about right.
Ahhh I always wondered what bircher muesli was, looks delicious, I love overnight oats, mmm!
Bircher muesli just sounds posher haha ;-) I think the difference for me is the grated apples, yum!
I had no idea this is what muesli was — I’ve always made my overnight oats with yogurt and just called them overnight oats. And I wish I could enjoy them more often, but they wreak havoc on my stomach so I tend to avoid them. Apples, though? LOVE. Golden Delicious are my favourite right now, but I won’t turn my nose up at any of them. Except maybe Granny Smith…
I need to keep remembering to explain British / European stuff when I’m doing recipes I keep forgetting that not everyone will know what they are! Granny smiths seem to be the least enjoyed, I don’t mind them so much!
This looks and sounds so good, I wish I could eat oats but sen the gluten free ones are a no go for me, damn it!
Ah no what a shame, maybe quinoa flakes would work instead?
Loving your bowls! I saw some like that from a charity shop but didn’t buy them – now I have bowl envy :)