I am about to go on a fishing/camping trip and I am going to meet 12 people for diner at the camp site the first day we get there. They know that I am the suzy homemaker pastry chef, so they are expecting me to bring desert. The trip takes 4.5 hours by hwy. My wife has made a bunch of cookies, but that is for later on in the week. What suggestions do you guys have?
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What desert to make for a fishing/camping trip?
- Thread starter oli
- Start date
REC: Congo Bars
I'm sorry I don't know who originally posted this.
Congo Bars
7/2005
Despite their name, Congo bars have nothing at all to do with Africa. In fact, they are little more than blondies enriched with coconut -- an ingredient that was exotic in years past perhaps but is far from it these days. We tried adding both sweetened, flaked coconut and unsweetened, shredded coconut to our blondies, and tasters unanimously preferred the unsweetened. Sweetened coconut did little but make the bars overly sweet and unpleasantly chewy. We were able to extract a bit more flavor from the unsweetened coconut by toasting it golden brown before adding it to the blondie dough. If you have trouble locating unsweetened shredded coconut, try a natural food store or an Asian market. Keep a close eye on the coconut when toasting as it can burn quickly. Makes 36.
1 cup pecans (or walnuts), toasted and chopped coarse
1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7 1/2 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar (10 1/2 ounces)
2 large eggs , lightly beaten
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 ounces white chocolate chips (1 cup) or chopped bar, or 3 ounces each white chocolate and semisweet chocolate chips
1. Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts on larged rimmed baking sheet and bake until deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer nuts to cutting board to cool; chop coarsely and set aside. Toast coconut on same rimmed baking sheet, stirring 2 to 3 times, until light golden, about 5 to 7 minutes.
2. While nuts and coconut toast, cut 18-inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8-inch width. Fit foil into length of 13 by 9-inch baking pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and fit into width of baking pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet (if using extra-wide foil, fold second sheet lengthwise to 12-inch width). Spray foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
4. Whisk melted butter and brown sugar together in medium bowl until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Using rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in chocolate, coconut, and nuts and turn batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with rubber spatula.
5. Bake until top is shiny, cracked, and light golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes; do not overbake. Cool on wire rack to room temperature. Remove bars from pan by lifting foil overhang and transfer to cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.
I'm sorry I don't know who originally posted this.
Congo Bars
7/2005
Despite their name, Congo bars have nothing at all to do with Africa. In fact, they are little more than blondies enriched with coconut -- an ingredient that was exotic in years past perhaps but is far from it these days. We tried adding both sweetened, flaked coconut and unsweetened, shredded coconut to our blondies, and tasters unanimously preferred the unsweetened. Sweetened coconut did little but make the bars overly sweet and unpleasantly chewy. We were able to extract a bit more flavor from the unsweetened coconut by toasting it golden brown before adding it to the blondie dough. If you have trouble locating unsweetened shredded coconut, try a natural food store or an Asian market. Keep a close eye on the coconut when toasting as it can burn quickly. Makes 36.
1 cup pecans (or walnuts), toasted and chopped coarse
1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7 1/2 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar (10 1/2 ounces)
2 large eggs , lightly beaten
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 ounces white chocolate chips (1 cup) or chopped bar, or 3 ounces each white chocolate and semisweet chocolate chips
1. Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts on larged rimmed baking sheet and bake until deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer nuts to cutting board to cool; chop coarsely and set aside. Toast coconut on same rimmed baking sheet, stirring 2 to 3 times, until light golden, about 5 to 7 minutes.
2. While nuts and coconut toast, cut 18-inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8-inch width. Fit foil into length of 13 by 9-inch baking pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and fit into width of baking pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet (if using extra-wide foil, fold second sheet lengthwise to 12-inch width). Spray foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
4. Whisk melted butter and brown sugar together in medium bowl until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Using rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in chocolate, coconut, and nuts and turn batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with rubber spatula.
5. Bake until top is shiny, cracked, and light golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes; do not overbake. Cool on wire rack to room temperature. Remove bars from pan by lifting foil overhang and transfer to cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.
Fancy but sturdy-T&T Pain Au chocolat Bread Pudding with Cranberries and Chocolate Sauce
I don't recall who posted this- or if I got it from Gourmet or Bon Appetit- I have made it a few times and it is a winner. You could serve it room temp and just reheat the sauce over the campfire.
PAIN AU CHOCOLAT BREAD PUDDING WITH CRANBERRIES AND CHOCOLATE SAUCE
6 cups lightly packed bite-size pieces croissant (from about 8- 5-1/2" croissants) !
6 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate
1-1/2 cups fresh or unthawed frozen cranberries
3 large eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/3 cups milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter
In a large baking pan dry bread, uncovered, at room temperature 12 hours.
butter a 1-1/2 qt shallow baking dish. Chop chocolate. In a food processor finely chop cranberries. Arrange half of bread in one layer in baking dish and sprinkle evenly with half of chocolate and all of the cranberries. Top mixture with the remaining bread. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, milk, 1/2 cup of the cream, vanilla and salt and pour slowly and evenly over bread. Cut butter into bits and dot pudding with it. Chill, covered, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bake pudding in middle of oven until slightly puffed and golden, about 40 minutes.
In a small metal bowl set over a small saucepan of barely simmering water melt remaining chocolate and whisk in remaining 1/4 cup cream and a pinch salt until combined well. Keep sauce warm, covered. Serve pudding warm or at room temp with sauce. Serves 6-8.
My notes: I used a 3 qt round ceramic deep baking dish and it was just right. I used more chocolate- about 9 oz because I wanted more sauce- and I used more cream because of it- About 1/2 cup in the sauce instead of 1/4 cup.
I don't recall who posted this- or if I got it from Gourmet or Bon Appetit- I have made it a few times and it is a winner. You could serve it room temp and just reheat the sauce over the campfire.
PAIN AU CHOCOLAT BREAD PUDDING WITH CRANBERRIES AND CHOCOLATE SAUCE
6 cups lightly packed bite-size pieces croissant (from about 8- 5-1/2" croissants) !
6 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate
1-1/2 cups fresh or unthawed frozen cranberries
3 large eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/3 cups milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter
In a large baking pan dry bread, uncovered, at room temperature 12 hours.
butter a 1-1/2 qt shallow baking dish. Chop chocolate. In a food processor finely chop cranberries. Arrange half of bread in one layer in baking dish and sprinkle evenly with half of chocolate and all of the cranberries. Top mixture with the remaining bread. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, milk, 1/2 cup of the cream, vanilla and salt and pour slowly and evenly over bread. Cut butter into bits and dot pudding with it. Chill, covered, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bake pudding in middle of oven until slightly puffed and golden, about 40 minutes.
In a small metal bowl set over a small saucepan of barely simmering water melt remaining chocolate and whisk in remaining 1/4 cup cream and a pinch salt until combined well. Keep sauce warm, covered. Serve pudding warm or at room temp with sauce. Serves 6-8.
My notes: I used a 3 qt round ceramic deep baking dish and it was just right. I used more chocolate- about 9 oz because I wanted more sauce- and I used more cream because of it- About 1/2 cup in the sauce instead of 1/4 cup.