Batch-cooked maple apples over a protein-boosted yogurt base, built so one skillet covers four mornings and the cold, thick yogurt holds its own against the warm fruit.
Peel and core the apple, then dice it into 1/2-inch pieces. Even sizing matters more than exact size — you want every piece tender at the same moment.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and stir for 20 seconds, until the cinnamon smells toasted rather than raw.
Add the apple, stir to coat, and cover the pan. Cook 6 minutes, shaking once or twice, until the pieces have released enough juice to pool in the bottom.
Take the lid off, add the maple syrup, and cook 6 to 8 minutes more, stirring every 30 seconds or so. The liquid should reduce to a syrup that coats the back of a spoon and the apple edges should brown.
Off the burner, stir in the vanilla. Let the pan sit 2 minutes — apples straight off the stove will thin the yogurt to soup.
For each bowl, whisk the protein powder into the yogurt in two additions. Work it until no dry streaks remain, about 45 seconds.
Spoon the yogurt base into a bowl. Pile roughly a quarter of the apple mixture in the center and scrape in the syrup clinging to it.