At the beginning of JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH, the characters enjoy breakfast in an Icelandic village before traveling to Snäfell (a dormant volcano) to begin their descent into the Earth. Curious about what they may have eaten there, I started to research Icelandic breakfasts and discovered that skyr (high-protein yogurt) is a popular breakfast item. I’ve made homemade yogurt in the past, and I thought it would be fun to try a new variety. But what to pair it with?
I decided to do a breakfast-y baked apple topped with skyr and granola. Instead of baking the apples whole and stuffing them with filling, I decided to make them hasselback style, cutting them in half and cutting thin slices into the tops. This way, the toppings can slip between the slices, allowing each bite to be more balanced. I developed my own hasselback apple recipe loosely based on the baked apples in my cookbook, A LITERARY HOLIDAY COOKBOOK. The granola is a crunchy, pared-down version of the granola bars in my latest book, A LITERARY PICNIC. For the skyr, I started with a recipe by the Jules Food blog and tweaked it to suit my experience.
These apples turned out delicious! They have just the right balance of sweet, savory, soft, and crunchy. The best part is, even though they’re super healthy, they actually eat like a dessert. So you could have them for breakfast, a special treat, or both!
A
Hasselback Baked Apples with Granola and Skyr
“We went first to Kongens-nye-Torw, an irregular square. . .Close by, at No. 5, there was a French ‘restaurant,’ kept by a cook of the name of Vincent, where we had an ample breakfast for four marks each.”
— Journey to the Center of the Earth
INGREDIENTS:
- FOR THE SKYR
- 1/2 gallon non-fat or low-fat milk
- 2 Tbsp skyr or Greek yogurt
- In the U.S., you can find Siggi’s or Icelandic Provisions skyr in the yogurt section of most grocery stores.
- 1/4 rennet tablet, crushed and dissolved in 1 tsp cold water
- FOR THE GRANOLA
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup crisped rice cereal
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp salt
- FOR THE APPLES
- 2 Pink Lady apples
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
Makes 4 hasselback baked apples
INSTRUCTIONS:
- FOR THE SKYR. Make sure all your tools are clean. Heat the milk in a large stainless steel pot until it reaches 190°F (I set the heat between medium-low and low). Gently whisk the milk regularly. This will take about an hour.
- Remove from heat and allow to reach 110°F. Add the skyr to a small bowl and gradually stir in 2-3 tablespoons of the warm milk. Gently whisk the yogurt mix into the pot of milk for about 1 minute. Whisk in the rennet and water, also for 1 minute.
- Cover and wrap the pot in 2 large, clean towels (like bath or beach towels). Allow to sit on the counter for 16 hours. At this point, the whey (a yellowish liquid) will have separated from the skyr.
- Use a sharp, clean knife to cut around the edge of the skyr, then cut it into cubes. Place a large bowl into a clean, empty kitchen sink and line with a cheese cloth folded in half. Scoop the skyr cubes onto the cheese cloth with a slotted spoon. Tie the ends of the cheese cloth together over a clean kitchen faucet. The bowl will catch the whey that drips out of the cheese cloth. You can save the whey drippings to use in baking (you can sub it for buttermilk in most baked goods) or gardening (unsalted whey can be added to garden soil to make it more acidic).
- Allow the skyr to drain for 3 hours, twisting and squeezing the cheese cloth gently a few times to help release more whey. Transfer skyr to a medium sealable container and whisk or beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Cover and chill.
- FOR THE GRANOLA. Preheat oven to 325°F. In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, cereal, and brown sugar. Set aside. Add the honey, vanilla, and salt to a small bowl and stir to combine. Microwave for 10-15 seconds or until hot but not bubbling. Stir into the oat mix until well combined. Spread mix evenly on a greased baking sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown, stirring once halfway through. Allow to cool on the pan. Break up the cooled granola and transfer to a sealable to container.
- FOR THE APPLES. Preheat oven to 375°F. Core the apples and cut in half. Cut 1/8″ wide slits across the length of each apple (but don’t cut all the way through). Place cut side down in a greased square baking dish. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together honey, lemon juice, and salt. Brush half the honey mix over the apples. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn pan and brush on remaining honey mix. Bake for 10 more minutes.
- TO ASSEMBLE. Add a scoop of skyr and a generous sprinkling of granola to the top of each apple.
- Serve warm as you travel through Iceland to begin your journey to the center of the Earth!
A
A
Check out my other breakfast recipes!
Leave a Reply