Camping Desserts

Desserts

When planning three meals a day, thinking about dessert may be the last thing on your mind. But dessert can be a fun and exciting part of the camping experience. Be sure to throw some bags of cookies, snack bars, instant brownie mix, and fresh and canned fruit into the food tub. Keep staples like condensed milk, brown sugar, raisins, and cinnamon for impromptu desserts when the sweet tooth bites.

Marshmallow over fire

Tasty desserts can be made on a stick over the fire or in a pot or skillet or baked in a Dutch oven. Some desserts require no cooking at all: like our no-bake cookies(recipe below). For a healthy late-night dessert use up all the leftover fruit in a fruit salad. Toss with flaked coconut. With a little creativity, the options are endless.

Quick Desserts

Pack some bags of the family's favorites cookies: Fig Newtons, Oreos, chocolate chips. Better yet, make them at home and bring as a homemade surprise. Fresh fruit and yogurt, sprinkled with nutmeg or lemon zest, make a superhealthy dessert.

The only caveat is to beware of too much sugar at bedtime. For the little ones, falling asleep in a tent can be exciting enough.

Make It Easy: Leftovers are not convenient in camp. Made too much rice at dinner? Add milk, nuts, raisins, chocolate bits, cinnamon, and nutmeg for delicious rice pudding. Leftover oatmeal from breakfast can be used as a topping for fruit cobbler. Use your imagination when finding ways to use up leftovers.

Easy Fruit Cobbler

Mix blueberries, sliced peaches, or apples with sugar and cinnamon and spread in Dutch oven.
Dollop Bisquick mix onto the fruit mixture.
Bake twenty-five minutes.
If it's blueberry or blackberry season, pick your own for cobbler!

No-bake cookies

1/2 Tbsp dry milk
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup oats
3/4 Tbsp cocoa powder

Preparation:

1. Boil 1/2 Tbsp dry milk, 1 Tbsp water, 1 Tbsp butter, and 1/4 c sugar until it foams.
2. Remove from heat.
3. Add 1/8 tsp vanilla, 1/3 c oats, and 3/4 Tbsp cocoa powder, stirring after each.
4. Drop by spoonfuls onto plates and let set.

Stir-fry brownies

1. Make brownie mix according to directions.
2. Pour a spoonful of oil into a skillet.
3. Cook the batter like scrambled eggs.

Rice Krispie Treats

1. Melt 1/2 tablespoon butter in a pot.
2. Stir in five marshmallows.
3. When melted, remove from heat and stir in 1 cup Rice Krispies.

Baked Apples Baked Apple

1. Halve an apple
2. Hollow out the core and fill with brown sugar and a pat of butter.
3. Wrap in tin foil and place in the coals.

Banana Boats

1. Peel one banana and slit open.
2. Stuff with mini-marshmallows and chocolate bits.
3. Wrap in foil and place in fire for five to ten minutes.

Other Quick Recipes

S'mores, of course! Sandwich toasted marshmallows and a chocolate bar between graham crackers.

From the book Knack Car Camping for Everyone by Mary and Bill Burnham Copyright (c) 2009 by Morris Book Publishing, LLC Used by permission of FalconGuide. Visit Falcon.com.