Overhead view of an apple crisp in a cast iron skillet placed on a red and white checkered tablecloth surrounded by a variety of autumn leaves

Crumble aux pommes de feu de camp

Quand on pense « dessert classique d’automne », un grand favori vient immédiatement à l’esprit : le crumble aux pommes. Oubliez la tarte à la citrouille. Les épices chaleureuses, le dessus sucré et croustillant, les pommes fraîches… on ne peut pas faire mieux. Ce dessert demande un temps de cuisson plus long, alors un peu de patience, mais qui se plaindra vraiment de passer un peu plus de temps autour du feu de camp ? Si toutefois vous êtes pressé par le temps ou que vous avez des campeurs de mauvaise humeur à cause de la faim, il existe quelques raccourcis. Mais, en toute impartialité, nous pensons que cela vaut bien l’attente.

Close-up of two bowls of apple crisp sitting outside on a red and white checkered tablecloth with a blurred cast iron skillet and campsite fire pit behind

Sometimes you don’t have all the time in the world, we get it, there’s trails to see and lakes to swim in. Lucky for you, apple crisp is pretty forgiving and doesn’t mind a couple shortcuts. The biggest time-saver? Swapping the homemade topping for your favourite granola; you can still get that perfect crunch just without the longer bake time. If you’d rather stick with homemade topping but would still like some extra time around camp, combine the dry ingredients at home and add the butter once you’re ready to bake. Fewer dishes, less prep, and all that warm, apple-cinnamon goodness to enjoy around the fire.

Equipment Required:

Ingredients

Serves: 6 People

Apples:

  • 5 Large apples, cored and sliced (we're using Grannysmith)
  • 1 tbsp of lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp of sugar
  • 1 tsp of cinnamon

Topping (or sub 2 cups of granola)

  • 1 cup of brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup of rolled oats
  • 3/4 cup of all pupose flour
  • 1/2 cup of cubed, salted butter
  • 1 tsp of cinnamon
  • 1 tsp of nutmeg
  • Pinch of salt

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Directions

1. Use cooking spray or butter to lightly grease the cast iron skillet. The cast iron is pre-seasoned, but this will help the apples caramelize and get a nice little crunch to them.

2. Preheat your skillet over the campfire.

3. Cut your apples up into thin slices, then add them into the skillet over the fire.

4. Add the lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon to the apples, Give it a good mix to make sure the apples are evenly coated.

5. Sauté the apples for about five minutes, they should begin to soften.

6. From here, it depends how hungry you are: 

  • For a quick and easy crisp, grab your favourite granola and sprinkle a generous amount over the apples. Give it a good mix and let it cook for another five minutes over the flames. It's as easy as that!
  • If you're looking for your traditional apple crisp, read on.

7. In a separate bowl, add the remaining ingredients together and stir.

8. Once mixed, evenly sprinkle the topping over the apple mixture. The topping is the best part, so don't worry if it looks like there's too much.

9. Remove the skillet from the fire and carefully cover the apple crisp with tinfoil before placing back over the fire. Leave the skillet to bake for another 15-20 minutes to make sure that topping crisps up.

10. Carefully remove the skillet from the flames. Allow to cool for five minutes before removing the tinfoil, then get ready to dig in!