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Maple Bourbon Apple Crumble

Bringing together some iconic Canadian and American flavors is one of Teddy Cosco's favorite camp desserts; Maple Bourbon Apple Crumble. A definite crowd-pleaser for those chilly nights around the campfire.

Maple Bourbon Apple Crumble

Bringing together some iconic Canadian and American flavors is one of Teddy Cosco's favorite camp desserts; Maple Bourbon Apple Crumble. A definite crowd-pleaser for those chilly nights around the campfire.

Getting Started

Put a cast iron dutch oven on a small bed of coals. Add 1/4 cup butter.  

Peel and slice the apples. Place slices into a large mixing bowl, and squeeze half a lemon over the top. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and salt to the bowl, tossing the apples until they are evenly coated.  

sprinkling brown sugar on apples sprinkling brown sugar on apples

Add apples to the dutch oven. Cook until the apples begin to release moisture. Add bourbon to the apples. Add maple syrup to the mixture. Allow to reduce until you achieve a syrupy consistency. 

cooking apples over a campfire cooking apples over a campfire

Mix all of the dry ingredients for the topping in a bowl (note: the topping can be made in advance in a bag and then added all at once on the day). Dice cold butter into 1cm cubes. Add butter to dry ingredients and mix with hands until the butter has been roughly incorporated. Add maple syrup and bourbon in equal portions until the mixture resembles wet sand.

mixing the dry ingredients mixing the dry ingredients

Add the topping directly onto the apples in the cast iron, spreading evenly.

adding dry ingredients to cooked apples adding dry ingredients to cooked apples

Put the lid on the dutch oven and cover the lid with hot coals. You'll be able to smell when the topping starts to caramelize and/or burn. Depending on how hot your coals are the cook times will vary, but be sure to check it after about 15 minutes. Cook until the desired level of caramelization has been reached on the crumble. Allow the crumble to cool off the heat for at least 10 minutes to set up.  

placing coals on cast iron dutch oven placing coals on cast iron dutch oven

Serve with ice cream (if you've got it) and the remaining bourbon. 

scooping out a healthy serving of a delicious dessert scooping out a healthy serving of a delicious dessert

What you'll need:

various ingredients you'll need to make a bourbon apple crumble various ingredients you'll need to make a bourbon apple crumble

Filling:

  • 8 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced (or 2 per person) 
  • 1 tsp cinnamon 
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg 
  • Dash of salt 
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar 
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup 
  • 1/4 cup bourbon 
  • 1/2 lemon juice 
  • 1/4 cup butter 

Topping:

  • 1 cup all purpose flour 
  • 1 cup rolled oats 
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar 
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts 
  • ~1/4 cup maple syrup 
  • ~1/4 cup bourbon  
  • 1/2 cup butter 

Equipment:

the finished bourbon apple crumble the finished bourbon apple crumble

For more cast iron recipes follow Teddy Cosco.