Appalachian Apple Pie

Your apple pie will be ready in fifteen minutes. While you wait, slide your boots off and enjoy the scent of cinnamon wafting through your campsite.

My backpacking cookware consists of two small pots and stoves, so dessert heats up at the same time that supper cooks. Chef Glenn believes in multi-tasking when pie is on the menu. The photo at right shows the smaller pot- a twelve ounce tuna can. At one ounce, this little pot is worth its weight in pie.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup apple slices, dried
• ½ cup bread crumbs
• ¼ cup raisins
• 2 tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ½ cup water

At Home:

For more on dehydrating apples, see the dehydrating fruit page.

Click here for more on making bread crumbs.

Pack dried apples and raisins together in a 3 x 5 plastic bag and pack bread crumbs in another 3 x 5 plastic bag. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a 2 x 3 plastic bag and then put all three bags in a 4 x 6 plastic bag to stay organized.

On the Trail:

Place apples, raisins, sugar, and cinnamon in a small pot and add water to cover, approximately ½ cup.

Light stove and maintain low flame until apple slices are soft and warm.

Stir in bread crumbs. The bread crumbs will absorb the sweet juices.

Lift spoon to face level just below nose. Close eyes. Breathe in. Smells like mom and apple pie. Insert in mouth. Repeat.

Optional Enhancement:

Top with crunchy granola.

Variation:

Substitute dried mango slices for the apples, reduce bread crumbs to ¼ cup, and keep everything else the same. I call this recipe Mango Raisin Pudding.

If you liked my Appalachian Apple Pie backpacking recipe, try peach cobbler.