A little cinnamon and ginger can persuade a Florida campsite to smell like Christmas, even when the weather refuses to cooperate. These apple pieces simmer with dried cranberries and a touch of orange zest, then finish with ginger biscuit crumbs added at the table.
This is a small stovetop dessert for two, not a baked pie. It asks for one saucepan, a little attention, and somebody willing to share the last spoonful.
Christmas camp apples with cranberries and ginger
Yield: 2 dessert portions.
Preparation: About 10 minutes.
Cooking: Begin checking after 10 minutes; allow roughly 12 to 20 minutes depending on the apples, stove, and pan. Tenderness is the finish cue.
Ingredients
2 medium firm apples, washed, cored, and cut into pieces about ½ inch across
¼ cup water, plus a little extra if needed
2 tablespoons dried cranberries
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon finely grated orange zest, optional
2 ginger biscuits or ginger snaps, crushed and packed separately
1 teaspoon butter, optional
Equipment
A small saucepan with a loose fitting lid, a stable outdoor stove compatible with the pan, a knife, a spoon, and two cups or bowls. Use cookware and a stove you already know, following their instructions. An open fire is not required.
Before leaving home
Measure the sugar and spices into a clean food container. Keep biscuit crumbs dry and separate. Leave the apples whole until cooking if convenient. Check biscuit and butter ingredients for the people eating, and keep any perishable ingredient properly chilled.
Cook at camp
1. Put the apple pieces, water, cranberries, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and optional zest into the saucepan. Stir to wet the spices.
2. Bring to a gentle simmer over moderate heat, then reduce the flame and rest the lid loosely on top. Never seal the pan.
3. Stir every few minutes, scraping gently along the bottom. If the water is disappearing before the apples soften, add a tablespoon or two more. Keep the fruit moist rather than letting the sugar fry onto the pan.
4. Start checking after 10 minutes. Continue until a fork enters the pieces easily. If too much liquid remains when the apples are tender, remove the lid and simmer briefly while stirring.
5. Turn off the stove. Stir in the optional butter, divide between two bowls, and let the fruit cool enough to eat. Add the biscuit crumbs just before serving so they keep their crunch.
Make room for your own camp kitchen
Raisins can stand in for cranberries. Leave out the orange zest if you have none. Choose biscuits that fit your companions’ dietary needs, or serve the fruit without them. Try the recipe at home with your own pan before packing it for a trip; the cooking times are estimates, not a promise.
Keep the stove outdoors on a stable surface and attend it throughout cooking. Pack out scraps and orange peel, secure food from wildlife, and follow the campsite’s rules.
The best part of supper
My Polish American roots have taught me to value a table with room for others. This dessert is a new camp kitchen variation, not a claim to a traditional Polish Christmas recipe. Food is as important as the love of family gathered around the campfire. The good part is having someone to pass the bowl to.
Return to Christmas Outdoors in Florida for river stories, camp cooking, useful gifts, and the Christmas Spider sticker.
