Setting up a campfire to slow cook meat and/or veggies can leave you with a huge pile of hot coals at the end of the whole process that just seem too good to douse.
Enter dessert.
We all love a sweet kick at the end of a meal, and turning the humble apple into a caramelised, nutty baked sensation is just the ticket for an easy treat that can cook away in some pre-prepped coals while you get through your earth-infused dinners.
Apples are easy enough to find no matter which corner of the world you’re camping at, and with just a few other basic ingredients, you can have a gourmet campfire experience all before you say granny smith.
Speaking of which, it’s best to use green apples when cooking them, as they hold their shape well during cooking. Also, the slight tart flavour of a green apple balances out the sweetness of most dessert recipes.
Whether you cook them in an oven or buried amongst hot coals, baked apples tick all the boxes for being cheap, simple, healthy (ish), and just plain delicious.
Here’s how to make an apple a day become two or three in a sitting.
Ingredients:
6 Green Apples
3 Tbsp Butter
3 tbsp Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Sultanas
1/4 cup Flaked/ Slivered or Chopped Almonds
1/4 tsp Cinnamon (optional)
Method:
1. Using a sharp knife, core a hole in the top of the apple while leaving approx. 2 cm of the bottom intact. This will help hold all of the fillings and stop them from oozing out from the bottom.
2. Mix together the butter, brown sugar, nuts, sultanas and cinnamon (if using) and fill the hole in each apple.
3. Wrap each apple with aluminium foil, then wrap it in yet another layer of aluminium foil so it’s doubly secure. Make a mark on top of each space parcel so you know which way to stand them up.
4. Carefully place on the hot coals for 30 mins. These guys hold the heat, so take extra care when opening.
5. Eat by themselves, or with a dollop of cream or ice cream on the side.
If you have any leftover baked apples (unlikely but it’s nice to account for all probabilities), you can keep them in an airtight contained and chop them up over porridge or cereal the next morning.
If you’re serving up any form of pork as well, these leftover apples are even better than the applesauce you usually find in a jar. Mash them up and serve on the side of your loin or cutlet.
The next time you’re at a campsite where there’s a local farm bulk deal on apples, load up- you can’t pick a more versatile fruit.