Apple, Walnut & Cinnamon Bircher

Good Food, Good Company is our series of easy, delicious recipes from some of our favourite cooks. Food to cook, eat and share in good company. Nicola Moores, Garden-to-Table cook and manager of the beautiful Te Arai Lodge shares her recipe for Apple, walnut & cinnamon bircher. For all those oat aficionados out there, myself included, this one's for you! Bircher (overnight oats) is the answer for when you’re craving something oaty with a nutty chew that isn’t as hot and heavy as porridge nor as light and crunchy as granola. It also acts as a great alternative to porridge in the warmer months, but to be perfectly honest, it’s so ridiculously delicious that you’ll end up making it the answer to just about everything! The other beauty about Bircher is that it’s super quick, easy and affordable to make and is low-GI, essentially keeping you fuller for longer. It’s also great to make well in advance and it travels well, making it the perfect nutritional breakfast for those busy mornings on the go. Whilst traditional Bircher is often soaked in apple juice, I much prefer to soak my oats in diluted coconut milk to create a creamier and less sweet version. In this recipe I’ve opted for more of a warm wintery comforting flavour profile of crisp apple, sour Zante currants, nutty walnuts and sweet spicy cinnamon, but the base of this Bircher is so versatile that you can play around with the toppings depending on what’s in season. Currently in Europe I’ve been making my Bircher with fresh iced ginger tea instead of the water and freshly grated ginger instead of the vanilla, and topping it with skyr, foraged summer berries, toasted hazelnuts and a good drizzle of hazelnut butter, and holy moly it’s good!