Gingerbread Apple-Streusel Coffee Cake

     A gingerbread mix from Betty Crocker makes this Christmas morning coffee cake an easy and festive way to start your day.  A crisp, buttery crust tops this moist, dense cake and the addition of chopped, candied ginger makes it especially good.  In my 10 inch, parchment lined dutch oven, the cake baked for 40 minutes with 10 coals in a ring around the bottom, 14 placed around the rim of the lid with 6 coals spaced evenly in the center.  It's worth making this cake just to smell the aroma of apples and gingerbread wafting from your oven. 
     Wishing you and your families all the joys of the season and a very Merry Christmas!

Gingerbread Apple-Streusel Coffee Cake
1 14.5 oz package Betty Crocker Gingerbread Cake and Cookie Mix
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
1 egg
2 apples, peeled and diced
2 Tblsp chopped, crystallized ginger (optional)
Topping
2 Tblsp butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon

     Lightly oil or spray 10 inch dutch oven; line with parchment paper.
     In large bowl, stir together gingerbread mix, water, egg and diced apples.
     Spoon into prepared dutch oven.
     In small bowl, mix butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon until crumbly.
     Sprinkle evenly over gingerbread batter.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
     Allow to cool for 20 minutes before lifting from oven.
     Serve warm or cold.

Sprinkle streusel topping over batter in parchment lined oven

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes

A coffee cake that tastes like Christmas morning