FRUIT BASE:
2 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup hard cider, such as Cottonwood Cider House’s “The Action,” cranberry or apple juice
4-5 lbs. room-temperature apples, about 12-15*
¼ cup flour
1-2 tsp. cinnamon
½ cup sugar
OAT CRUMBLE TOPPING:
1 cup regular old-fashioned oats
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1-2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
¾ cup room-temperature butter
Combine cranberries, 1 cup sugar and hard cider in a pot over medium heat. Cook mixture until cranberries begin to burst and thicken a bit, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel, core and dice apples. Toss apples with flour, cinnamon, ½ cup sugar and cranberry mixture. Pour into 9x13-inch baking dish and bake for 15 minutes. Stir, then bake an additional 15 minutes.
While apple-cranberry mixture is baking, prepare topping. Combine all topping ingredients together, mixing until crumbly. Put on top of pre-baked fruit. Bake an additional 20-30 minutes, until topping is browned and crispy. Serve warm or at room temperature with real whipped cream or ice cream.
* Try Haralson, Honeycrisp or Granny Smith varieties.
Recipe by Stacy Nelson-Heising, Cottonwood Farm and Cider House
