Orange Campfire Brownies

The campfire baking didn't stop at multigrain bread.  We also experimented with fresh baked brownies made within the peel of an orange, baked by the fire.  They were a total disaster, but so much fun to make and eat, and a great alternative to traditional campfire treats.

Now that I've made every mistake possible, I'm pretty sure these instructions will be a huge success on our next camping trip.

1. Slice 1/2 inch off the top of the orange and scoop out most (or all) of the pulp by sliding a spoon along the inside of the orange, separating the meat from the pulp.  Be careful not to tare the orange peel which will cause leakage.

Don't throw away the top slice - this will go back on top for baking.

The orange meat was a nice campfire treat itself, but I squeezed some of it into the brownie mix for flavor and to replace a small portion of the wet ingredients.

2. Mix brownie or any kind of cake mix according to package directions, or from scratch! 

We used Trader Joe's No Pudge chocolate brownie mix, plain greek yogurt and a tiny splash of almond extract to add flavor since the yogurt was Plain.  Nuts might be a nice addition as well

3.  Scoop the mix into the orange, filling half way.  Don't forget that batter rises when baked and will create a sticky mess as it overflows the orange and tinfoil, so best to fill half way.  Top with the orange slice.

4.  Wrap in tinfoil and gently place next to hot coals of fire.  Bake for 20-40 minutes, turning every ten minutes to ensure even baking.  Try to keep upright until brownie has shown some sign of being cooked.

5. Unwrap and eat with a spoon, or squeeze the orange to push the brownie out through the top. 

Multigrain Campfire Bread

I spent the weekend camping with friends north of Napa, CA and was psyched when dinner time came around to see the picnic table loaded with wild salmon, fresh winter greens, hearty sausage and red curry.  No franks and beans at this camp out and more than a few excited faces when I unpacked my new dutch oven (flea market find) and hearty multigrain bread dough.  

This bread is no-knead, highly adaptable to whatever ingredients you have and the tastiest of any bread I've made.  It's also super easy and will make a bread baker out of anyone.  Baked in a dutch oven over campfire, this bread has a place in my heart forever.    

Hearty Multi-Grain Bread

2 cups wheat flour

1 cup multi-grain flour or any other whole grain flour you have

1/4 cup gluten flour (to compensate for the less gluteny whole wheat flours)

1/4 cup flax seed

1/4 cup 7 grain cereal (or ground bugler wheat or Kamut, or oats or cooked rice)

2 T chia seeds (or poppy or sesame or other small seed)

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1.5 t sea salt

1 t active dry yeast

2 cups lukewarm water

* make any substitutions you'd like as long as you maintain the dry:wet ingredient ratio

1. Mix all dry ingredients except for yeast

2. Mix yeast with lukewarm water

3. Mix dry and wet ingredients until all dry ingredients are incorporated in a ball

4. Rest dough for 12-18 hours in large bowl, covered with a towel until the dough has doubled in size.  The longer the dough rests the tastier the bread will be, but much longer than 18 hours and the dough may collapse

5. Fit dough into an oiled loaf pan, 7 inch casserole dish or in the center of a well oiled dutch oven and rest for 1 more hour

6. Brush top with egg whites and sprinkle additional seeds on top (optional)

7. Oven: bake at 400 F for 30 to 45 minutes until hollow sounding when knocked.

    Campfire: This is more of an art thana  science, but place dutch oven in campfire ring atop hot stones or coals as close to the flames as possible without being surrounded in flames.  (see photo, and adjust based on size of fire)  Use potholders to rotate the dutch oven 1/4 turn every 15 minutes to cook evenly.  After 30 minutes, crack the lid slightly so the steam can escape and form a crust. Cooking time will vary but may take up to 2 hours. 

Napa, CA (Part I)

Napa is, of course, best known for its vineyards and wineries, but I went for the hiking, and the fabulous Margo’s birthday.   We used a CA guide book to identify a semi-long hike that was sure to work up our appetite for wine and taco truck later that night.  We set out for the Bald Mountain Trail at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, widely said to be one of the best wine country hikes around, but we were lost before we hit the parking lot, somehow finding ourselves at the wrong trailhead, and instead taking the Goodspeed trail to Gunsight Rock (http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailid=XDH006-049).  We were assured by the sweetest local woman, whom looked like she had hiked the trail everyday for the last 100 years, that we were not lost, and that Goodspeed was in fact a much better hike, while Bald Mountain forces you onto a fireroad to the peak.  Happy with our mistake, we continued on Goodspeed through switchbacks lined with Manzanita and wild flowers, and along a sun exposed ridge, making the steady, modest climb to Gunsight rock. 

Gunsight is an amazing, sunny, rock formation overlooking the vineyards in the valley.  This was our main destination (the remaining few hundread feet to the summit didn’t offer much for views, especially for the steepness of the climb) and a great spot to park for lunch.  I packed us almond butter and apple butter sandwiches and Pink Lady apples, but my attention was drawn to the other side of the rock formation to see what delicious treats C+R whipped up: homemade carob balls!  They were tasty and packed with energy, but I was most impressed by how versatile the recipe is…

Super Easy Super Energy Carob Treats:

1 cup peanut butter (or almond butter, or any kind of nut butter)

¾ cup honey (or maple syrup, or ½ cup agave)

¾ cup carob powder ($1.50/lb at Rainbow CoOp)

1 cup toasted wheat germ (or any kind of germ or bran or meal)

½ cup sunflower seeds (or pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, seseme seeds, etc)

Mix it all together.  Use the seeds in the mixture, or to roll the ball in after.  Roll into balls.  Cover in seeds?