A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Companion Cookbook (A Song of Ice and Fire) (17 page)

This dessert is characterized by a rustic simplicity that evokes the sweetness and light of a 17th-century French countryside. Butter, sugar, and cinnamon, combined with the soft baked apple, make this something like an apple pie without the pastry crust.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Mix together the cinnamon, sugar, and butter.

Slice the apples in half vertically through the core. Cut out the core and seeds (a melon baller or grapefruit spoon works well for this), then prick the inside of the
apple all over with a sharp knife. Place the apples cut side up in a baking dish and pour in enough water to just cover the bottom of the dish. Divide the cinnamon filling among the apple halves, spreading it to coat the cut surface.

Cover and bake for 1 hour. Provide a fork and knife for your guests to eat the apples with, and enjoy!

These apples are a complex experience. The walnuts and dried fruit provide a textural counterpart to the smooth, maple-flavored sauce, while the spices add a lovely seasonality.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Hollow out the apples by cutting out the core from the top, leaving 1 inch of fruit on the bottom. Combine the cherries, brown sugar, walnuts, and spice and divide the filling among the apples, pressing it into the hollows. Place apples in a baking dish, cover them with tinfoil, and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover, baste with juices from the pan, and bake for another 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the apple juice, maple syrup, and butter over medium heat until the mixture melts to form a smooth sauce.

Drizzle the apples with the sauce, and provide your guests with a fork and knife to eat with.

This recipe is wildly easy, dense, and incredibly authentic-tasting. The flavor of the beer comes through in the finished loaf—a deep, earthy bitterness that is complemented by the small amount of honey. The inside of the loaf is soft, almost crumbly, while the crust bakes hard. It’s ideal for creating a bread bowl for a bit of Sister’s Stew.

Bread making and brewing have gone hand in hand practically since they both began, and it’s only fitting that they should come together in this delicious bread. This recipe has no historical basis, as we created it from scratch, but it is so straightforward and the ingredients so simple that it could be made easily in Westeros.

In a small bowl, add the yeast and honey to the beer and allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes until foamy. Add the salt and beaten egg to the wet ingredients, then begin adding in the mixed flour, one cup at a time. The ideal consistency for the dough is when
it forms one cohesive mass. At this point, flour your work surface and turn the dough out for kneading. Using firm motions, knead the dough for about 5 minutes, until it bounces back when poked. Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise for at least 1 hour.

Punch down the dough, then replace the towel and let it rise again for at least 2 more hours, or refrigerate it overnight, which will give it just the slightest sourdough taste.

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Form the dough into two loaves, dust them lightly with flour, and lightly slash the tops in a decorative pattern.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the crust is nicely browned, then let it stand for at least 15 minutes before serving.