COCONUT PAVLOVAS
I am not suggesting you whip up a few mini pavlovas at the camp, but if you are celebrating a special occasion then a pavlova will last much longer than a traditional cake. Making individual pavlovas saves the mess of cutting. Make these the day before you go and store in an airtight container – they should last up to four days.
SERVES 6
3 egg whites
175 g (¾ cup) caster sugar
50 g (generous ½ cup) desiccated coconut
TO SERVE
300 ml thickened (whipping) cream or a tin of spray cream
200 g chopped strawberries
200 g halved black and white seedless grapes
2 mangoes, peeled, stones removed and flesh diced
1 Preheat the oven to 140°C (Gas 1). Grease and line two baking trays with baking paper. Draw six circles, each with an 8 cm diameter, onto the paper, then turn the paper over, ensuring you can still see the circles.
2 Put the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl and use electric beaters to whisk until soft peaks form. Add the sugar 1 heaped tablespoon at a time, and whisk until the mixture is stiff and glossy. Gently fold in the desiccated coconut.
3 Spoon the egg white mixture onto the circles, using the back of a spoon to fill the circle shapes, but leaving them rough and ready with a few peaks, rather than with perfectly smooth tops and sides. Bake for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and leave for a further 1 hour – stick a wooden spoon in the oven door to hold it open and allow the pavlovas to finish cooking and dry out slightly.
4 Remove the pavlovas from the oven and transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container between layers of baking paper.
5 If using thickened cream, put into a bowl and whisk until thickened. Top each pavlova with cream and then your choice of strawberries, grapes and mango. Decorate with candles if required.
BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING IN THE FIRE
This is the perfect way to use up any leftover bread, as bits and pieces from different loaves can be used. If cream isn’t available, use all milk instead. If a sweeter pudding is preferred, spread the bread with some jam when buttering. On a camping trip one Easter we used sliced, leftover hot cross buns and it was absolutely divine.
SERVES 4–6
softened butter, for spreading
8 slices of bread, halved
60 g (½ cup) sultanas (optional)
3 eggs 3 tablespoons sugar
300 ml pouring (whipping) cream (or an additional 300 ml milk)
375 ml (1½ cups) milk
1 Lightly grease a camp oven or 2-litre (8 cup) capacity fire-proof dish with butter.
2 Spread each slice of bread with butter (and jam if using) and arrange in the dish in layers from front to back so the slices are standing up against each other. Scatter over the sultanas, if using.
3 Using a whisk or fork, whisk together the eggs, sugar, cream and milk until well combined. Slowly pour over the bread, letting the bread soak up the liquid a little. Set aside for 10 minutes to allow a little more soaking.
4 Put the lid on the camp oven or cover the dish with foil, then sit on the edges of the fire surrounded by coals. Make sure there are no coals underneath the oven or it will burn the base. Leave for about 30 minutes, or until the custard has set. Alternatively, you can cook this pudding in a covered barbecue with only the outside burners turned on low.
5 Remove from the heat, spoon into bowls and serve immediately.
BAKED MELTED CHEESE
Cheese is a great way to end a meal, especially for those who don’t have a sweet tooth. Baking a whole wheel of cheese over a fire until it is oozing and melted takes it to a whole new level – this is a camping at its decadent best!
MAKES 1 cheese
1 whole brie or camembert wheel
crusty bread or crackers, to serve
1 Remove any wax wrapping from the cheese, reserving the wooden box if it has one.
2 Wrap the cheese in a double layer of foil. Place on a flatplate over a fire or on the barbecue, or even into a frying pan over a gas cooker. Cook for 4–5 minutes on each side, or until the cheese feels really soft when pressed.
3 Carefully unwrap the cheese and either serve from the foil or return to the box. Cut a cross in the top to open it up and start dipping in pieces of crusty bread or crackers.
WARM SPICED WINE
Put someone in charge of making this wine while others prepare dinner or put the kids to bed. Then spend the evening huddled around the fire, sipping delicious warm spiced wine!
MAKES 1 bottle
750 ml bottle red wine, don’t use your best bottle!
110 g (½ cup) sugar
2 oranges
8 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 Pour the wine into a large saucepan, add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Place over the fire while you prepare the oranges, but do not let the wine boil.
2 Stick the cloves into the skin of one of the oranges in a random pattern, then thickly slice the orange. Squeeze the juice from the second orange into the wine mixture, then add the orange slices to the pan with the cinnamon stick. Simmer gently for 30 minutes.
3 Let the spiced wine cool for 5 minutes, then pour into mugs.
BANANAS WITH MELTED CHOCOLATE AND MARSHMALLOWS
I’ve made this recipe to serve four people but you can make as many of these as you need, allowing for one banana per person. For extra decadence, adults can drizzle cream and a drop of rum over their cooked bananas, although they taste just as good without.
SERVES 4
4 bananas (skin on)
40 g milk chocolate, broken into pieces
12 marshmallows, halved
1 Use a sharp knife to carefully make a slit along the inner curve of each banana, cutting through the skin but ensuring you don’t cut through the skin on the other side. Gently push the banana from either end to open up the middle of the banana – you should have a long wide slit to put your filling into.
2 Insert the chocolate pieces and marshmallows alternately into the slit in the middle of the banana to fill it up.
3 Wrap each banana in foil and place in the hot coals for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until the banana skins have gone black and mushy. Alternatively, you can wrap in foil and cook in a frying pan over a gas cooker for about 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes or so.
4 Very carefully unwrap the bananas as they will be very hot. Serve with a spoon to scoop out the gooey insides.
CREAMY RICE PUDDING
This tasty dessert can be cooked over fire or a gas cooker. If cooking over a fire, ensure you stir it regularly to prevent the bottom burning. This recipe is a particular favourite of my friend and her children, who always request it whatever the weather! You can also use basmati rice, but it won’t be quite as creamy.
SERVES 4
120 g risotto rice
900 ml full-fat milk
60 g sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 thick slice orange peel (optional)
soft brown sugar, to serve
sultanas, to serve
strawberry jam, to serve
1 Put the rice, milk, sugar, salt and orange peel, if using, into a large heavy-based saucepan and stir well. Put the lid on.
2 If cooking over gas, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 30–40 minutes, stirring regularly and scraping the base of the pan to prevent the rice from sticking and burning. Cook until the rice is tender and most of the milk has been absorbed. You may need to add some extra milk if the rice isn’t soft. Remove from the heat and give the rice pudding a really good stir.
3 If cooking over a fire, sit the pan on the swing arm over the fire and cook following the directions above. If cooking over coals, sit the pan close to the fire initially to bring to the boil (keeping a close eye on it), then remove to a much cooler part of the fire and gently simmer, replacing the coals as necessary. It will probably take more like 45–50 minutes to cook this way, but it will all depend on the heat of the coals. You may need to add extra milk if necessary.
4 Remove the orange peel (if using) and serve the rice pudding accompanied by sultanas, brown sugar and jam, if desired.