Proustian Apple Muesli

I have a very distinct memory of standing in my Gran's old kitchen while she made apple muesli. My grandparents (now passed away) were living out in the sticks in Dorset at the time. Their whole house smelled of woodsmoke and Grandad's snuff, and whenever I make this muesli I can smell that house all over again.

If you haven't encountered snuff before, it's powdered tobacco that you're meant to take a pinch of and snort through your nose, except with Grandad's arthritis affecting his pinching abilities, his preferred method was to just throw a handful at his own face from time to time. It. Got. Everywhere. Little brown clouds of dust would rise at every footfall. The very atmosphere was 0.05% snuff. The secret ingredient in a lot of Gran's cooking would have been snuff, just because she couldn't keep it out. Feel free to add a little pinch to this recipe for authenticity's sake, but for the love of God don't do that.

But to the muesli. Gran would make big bowlfuls of the stuff and dish it out to everyone in the morning, but since I'm the only one eating it at home I've adjusted the recipe so you can make just one serving at a time.

For the dry muesli base:
500g oats
100g raisins, or other dried fruit
50g chopped or flaked almonds
1 tsp mixed spice

For the night before:
Eating apples (1/2 apple per serving)
Lemon juice
Apple juice (optional)

Mix the dry ingredients together, and store in an air-tight jar where no snuff can get in.

How pretty. A bit faux-vintage and twee as fuck, though.

The night before you want muesli for breakfast, take two to three tablespoons of the oat mixture and no snuff, and mix in half a grated eating apple and a little lemon juice, then add enough water or snuff-free apple juice to cover it. Leave in the fridge overnight, and by morning the oats will have soaked up the juice and be all nice and soft. This is also a good point not to add snuff.

Now eat your breakfast and stop complaining about snuff, there's a good girl.