Apple Jaffles
Mr. Nathan Runde
Growing up in the midwest, the best thing about life is summer, and the best thing about summer is camping, and the best thing about camping is cooking on a campfire. Getting yet more precise: the best thing about cooking on a campfire is jaffles. Also known as pudgy pies. Ergo — by the law of transitivity and the symmetric property — pudgy pies are the best thing about life.
Looking at that last sentence in isolation, I have the notion that there is an error in my logic somewhere, but I cannot find it. I have some vague theological misgivings. No matter. For the purposes of this recipe, pudgy pies are the best thing about life. And what is a pudgy pie? As already mentioned, it is a jaffle. What is a jaffle? It is a pudgy pie. Let this circular definition form a warm ring around the campfire for the already initiated; for the others, a few more words on the matter:
The cuisine in question is a hot sandwich, typically cooked in the coals of a campfire, within a jaffle iron (aka pie iron, etcetera), which has two hinged, concave plates that envelope the sandwich, attached to a long handle. It is sort of an outdoorsman’s panini. It goes by various names, depending on your locale and inclinations. “Pudgy pie” is a common moniker in the United States and elsewhere, and “jaffle” holds sway in Australia (where a patented iron was named thusly in 1949). We’ll be ecumenical about it and call them jaffle pies.
The basic, classic version is simply grilled cheese between two pieces of bread — but, as you can imagine, it quickly becomes as fancy as your campsite creativity allows. In my family, the pizza pudgy was always a camp staple. When my dad got adventurous and made breakfast versions, or later in the day reubens, those were creative and pleasant treats too. But what I always waited for was my mother’s delectable dessert editions, loaded with warm fruit and sprinkled with brown sugar and cinnamon. Mom was like a gourmet pastry chef in the middle of the forest.
With these tasty memories in mind, I present to you the delicious, creamy apple jaffle pie. It’s sort of a cream cheese stuffed french toast. In the woods. I.e. the new best thing about life. Or, at least, a new staple for your campsite’s consideration.
— Nathan
What You Need
Materials:
• A Pudgy Pie/Jaffle Iron (These can be found at your local sporting goods or hardware store.)
• A bed of hot coals (These can be found resting in the bottom of a fire pit in the wake of a campfire.)
Ingredients:
• 8 slices of good, white bread
• 3 cups tart apples, thinly sliced
• 1 stick of butter, softened
• 8 oz cream cheese or chevre
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
What You Do
Fire and Irons
Allow your fire to burn down until it is just a bed of hot coals. Place your pudgy-pie irons into the coals and allow them to preheat for five minutes. In the meantime, prepare your pies.
Apple Filling
Mix the cinnamon, nutmeg, flour, and half a cup of brown sugar in a bowl until evenly mixed. Set aside about two tablespoons of the mixture for sprinkling later. Add apples and lemon juice to the remaining mixture. Mix until the apples are evenly coated.
Cheese Filling
With a fork, mix the remaining quarter cup of brown sugar along with milk, vanilla, and cream cheese (or chevre) in a bowl. Mix until it is smooth.
Pie Time
Step One: Take two slices of bread and butter one side of each slice. Lay them butter-side down on a plate. On the other side of each slice of bread, spread a thick layer of cheese filling. Then add a layer of pie filling to one of the pieces of bread. Put the other piece of bread on top, butter-side up.
Step Two: Remove the irons from the fire, and put a half tablespoon of butter in one of the irons. Swirl until the iron is coated, and then pour the remaining butter into the other iron. Grease that iron in the same way.
Step Three: Add pies to the hot irons, careful not to touch the sides. It is good if the the bread overlaps the iron a bit, so you get a complete, crisp edge. Close the irons, and cut off any excess bread with a butter knife. Place the irons back into the hot coals.
Step Four: Check pies frequently until the down-side is golden brown. Then flip the irons repeating the process until the other side is golden brown. Hotter fires will cook them very quickly, so you may want to check as frequently as every minute. Once both sides are done, remove the pies from the heat and flip them onto a plate. Sprinkle with the brown sugar mixture, and then allow them to cool for about five minutes.
Step Five: Serve and watch the delighted faces of your family and friends as they enjoy the sweetness of nature, the glow of the fire, and apple jaffle pie — the best thing about life.
Notes:
For softer apples, skewer the apples before slicing and cook them over the coals for about five minutes, until slightly browned. You can also experiment with other fruits and pie fillings — apples are easy to transport and store while camping, but if you can swing it, fresh strawberries in summer are well worth the added hassle and pair excellently with the cream cheese.
