A Collection of Desserts Recipes
In our house, dinner isn’t over until dessert is served. The same goes for when camping. Traditional, the children were responsible for dessert when camping so most of the dessert recipes in this collection can be prepared by younger members of your camping adventure.
Easy Pudding
Serves 4
This is an excellent recipe for young children. Following the package directions, make instant vanilla pudding using a wooden spoon or whisk instead of an electric mixer. Pour equal amounts of pudding into either coffee mugs or Styrofoam cups. Now, sprinkle with cookies crumbs, drizzle chocolate sauce, or top with bite-size pieces of fresh fruit.
More S’mores
Serves as many as you make
Roast large marshmallows on a long thin stick over a campfire until covered with a brown crust of deliciousness. Take two, commercially available, chocolate covered graham crackers and sandwich the roasted marshmallow between the crackers. Gently push the crackers together and pull along the stick to remove the gooey marshmallow. Now, eat while still warm. Repeat until you are full or run out of supplies.
Tortilla S’mores
Serves as many as you make
Smear a flour tortilla with a scant tablespoon of peanut butter. Sprinkle chocolate chips down the middle of the tortilla. Place the whole thing in a hot skillet and heat through. While its getting warm drop a couple of teaspoons of marshmallow fluff on top of the chips. When the chips look like they are starting to melt, fold the tortilla in thirds and serve. It will be gooey and probably messy but oh so very delicious. (This recipe was developed with the help of our nephew during a camping trip to Tortilla campground in the Tonto National Forest.)
Hot Apple Pie
Loosely wrap a store-bought single serving apple pie in aluminum foil paper. When you sit down to dinner, place wrapped pie near cooling embers in your campfire to warm. Carefully remove pie and your hot apple pie is ready.
Grandma Harriet’s Chocolate Vinegar Cake
Serves 9
1-1/2 Cup sifted flour
1 Cup sugar
3 heaping Tbsp cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp vinegar
6 Tbsp melted butter
1 Cup cold water
Sift dry ingredients together into an ungreased 8x8x2 inch pan. Make three depressions with spoon in dry ingredients. Add vanilla into one depression, vinegar in the other, and butter in the third. Pour cold water over all and stir (I find a dinner fork works best for me) until well mixed. Bake in a 350 degree oven 30 to 35 minutes or until tests done. Note: Increase oven temperatures to 375 if above a mile high elevation.
Spice Snack Cake
Serves 9
1-1/4 Cup flour
1 Cup packed brown sugar
1/4 Cup cornstarch
1 tsp each baking soda, allspice, and cinnamon
1/2 tsp each ground cloves and salt
1/3 Cup oil
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 Cup water
Caramel Frosting – follows
In 8 or 9″ square pan with fork mix well flour, sugar, cornstarch, baking soda, spices and salt. Add oil, vinegar, and water. Mix briskly with /fork until thoroughly blended. Preheated 350 (+25 degrees if mile high elevation) degree. Bake 30 minutes or until pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan. Spread with frosting.
Carmel Frosting 1/4 Cup butter or margarine
1/2 Cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp milk
3/4 Cup plus 3 Tbsp confectioners’ sugar
In small saucepan melt butter; add brown sugar. Stir over low heat 2 minutes. Add milk; bring to boil. Remove from heat; cool. Slowly beat in confectioners’ sugar until smooth and of spreading consistency.
Hello Dolly Cookies
(A personal favorite for two reasons: one, my daughter’s nickname is Dolly; and, the variations you can make are endless.)
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips (try substituting peanut butter chips or more chocolate chips)
1 cup coconut (try substituting dried cranberries or raisins)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 can (15 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
Melt the butter; mix in graham cracker crumbs. Pat crumb mixture in a 9-x13-inch baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining ingredients over the crumbs in order given, in layers. Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over all. Do NOT stir. Bake at 350° (+25 if mile high elevation) for about 25 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.
Baked Apple
Wash and core, leaving 1/2 to 1-inch wall at bottom of a good apple (Granny Smith is my preferred but . . .). Place the apple in the center of a large piece of tin foil. Stuff apple’s center with brown sugar, raisins, or mincemeat; dot with butter or margarine, about 2 tsp worth at a minimum. Seal tightly and cook for 30 to 40 minutes off to the side of hot coals. Turn occasionally. The apple is done when it feels like a ripe tomato. Carefully open and serve.
I’m Camping! Rice Pudding
Serves 1
Put 1/2 to 3/4 cups of cooked plain rice in a plastic container or ziplock bag. Toss in some raisins, a Tbsp of sugar (white or brown, your choice), sprinkle with cinnamon, and cover with milk. Put in cooler until morning. Either eat as is or put into a pot of gentle boiling water for 10 to 20 minutes. Let set a few minutes before eating. (Alternative: 2 Tablespoons of good quality powdered milk with enough water to cover can be used in place of milk. Stir well when adding water.)
S’more Pudding
Serves 4
Mix 3 Tbsp powdered milk with 2 cups of cold water in a jar or bowl. Add 1 box of instant chocolate pudding and mix with a spoon for 2 minutes. Stir in a handful of mini-marshmallow and broken or teddy bear-size graham crackers. Give time to set (length will depend on outside temperature).
Rocky Road Pudding
Serves 4
Make S’more Pudding and add mini-chocolate chips and some chopped walnut. (Both Rocky Road and S’more puddings can be prepared by children of all ages.)
Chewy Coconut Cookies
1-1/4 Cup flour
1/2 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 Cup butter
1/2 Cup each packed brown sugar and white sugar
1 egg
1-1/3 Cup coconut
1 tsp vanilla
Cream butter; add sugars gradually. Add egg and beat well. Stir in vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients and beat well. Fold in coconut. Drop teaspoon on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. (Better-suited to eat in camp than on the trail>)
