S'mores' Puffs - I Will Create Food!

We are avid campers and, by proxy, devotees of a good s'more.  Rather than yearn for the sweet, gooey goodness during the cold and rainy winter months, we create these puff pastry versions to tide us over.  

You will need:

1 package of puff pasty dough - you can generally find this in the frozen food section near the pies and frozen fruit.

1 jar of Marshmallow Fluff 

1 8 oz tub of cream cheese

1 egg 

1 package of your S'more chocolate of choice  (we prefer peanut butter cups or Kitkats to plain chocolate)

You will also need a cookie sheet, pastry brush, pizza cutter and parchment paper. 

Preheat your oven to 375°

Crack you egg into a bowl and add a few teaspoons of water. 

Whisk the eggs and water together to make an egg wash.  

Next line your cookie sheet with the parchment paper to keep the puffs from sticking.

Lay out your puff pastry dough and cut it into 3 even strips.

Add your chocolate of choice.  

Center them on half of the puff pastry strip, making sure there is room to seal the edges. 

Brush the edges with the egg wash to help the seal stick. 

Fold the pastry strip over the chocolate and line up the edges. 

Use a fork to press the edges and make sure the chocolate stays inside. 

Brush the pastry with the egg wash to get a nice golden brown finish during baking. 

Once all of your pastries are assembled, pop them in the oven for 20-25 minutes depending on how golden you like them. 

Now combine your marshmallow fluff and cream cheese.  

Mixing them together until you have a nice smooth frosting. 

Take the pastries out and let them cool for a few minutes. 

Add your frosting and enjoy!  

Adding crushed graham crackers or using a kitchen torch to slightly brown the frosting adds to the campfire s'more taste, but they generally don't last long enough around here to take the extra steps. 

Go Climb A Mountain - Free Entrance Days in the National Parks

Here is the Pacific Northwest we are lucky to be surrounded with amazing options for outdoor activities.  Within an hour we can be hiking deep into an old growth forest or climbing mountains.  One of the reasons we have this bounty available to us, is the commitment to preserve these green spaces for public use.  In addition to the many state parks and community spaces, the National Parks System has several parks within driving distance with the most famous being Mt. Rainier and the Olympic National Park.  This weekend, no matter where you are in the United States, you can enjoy these historic wonders for yourself.  As part of it's 100th Birthday, the National Parks Service is opening all of it's parks for free!  That's right, no entrance fee at the more than 400 National Parks throughout the country.  So grab your hiking shoes, pack a lunch and go enjoy the tranquility of nature.

Homemade Marshmallows - I Will Create Food!

 

In our house marshmallows are not just for camping trips.  While they are a coveted treat while sitting around the campfire, they get just as much love throughout the rest of the year.  As much as we love them, we have noticed the store bought versions have become more dense and sugary lately. After looking into making them ourselves, we discovered that not only are they fairly easy to make, but the homemade marshmallows are lighter,  fluffier and have more flavor.

You will need:

3/4 cup powdered sugar 

1/2 cup cornstarch or potato starch 

Cooking spray, for coating the baking pan

4 1/2 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin (about 2 [1/4-ounce] packets)
3/4 cup cold water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Besides the ingredients you will also need an 8x8 pan and an electric mixer with a whisk attachment

Start by mixing the powdered sugar and corn starch together.  This will be a powder coating to prevent the marshmallows from sticking together.  

Prepare the 8x8 pan by lightly spraying it with cooking spray.  (to achieve a lighter coating, refrain from letting your 4-year-old from doing this step)  Add a couple of spoonfuls of the powdered sugar/corn starch mixture and shake the pan until it has a nice even coating.

Next whisk the gelatin with 1/2 cup of the cold water. Put this on the side for a minute.
Now add the sugar, 1/4 cup of the corn syrup, remaining 1/4 cup water, and salt in a medium saucepan.  Bring it to a boil, stirring until it hits 240 degrees.  While waiting for the right temperature, microwave the gelatin for 30 seconds. Add the rest of the corn syrup and the gelatin to you mixer and start it on low.

Once the mixture on the stove reaches 240 degrees add it to the mixer also.  Turn the speed up to medium and let it whip for 5 min.   After 5 min increase the speed to medium high for another 5 minutes.

 

Your mixture should be looking mighty fluffy at this point.  Add your vanilla (and/or any other flavors you want)  and increase the speed to the highest setting for a few minutes.  

Pour your marshmallow fluff into the prepared pan, using a spatula to spread it evenly to the edges.

Dust the top with more of the powdered sugar/corn starch mixture. (put the rest of the powder mixture on the side to use after the marshmallows set up.)  Put the pan in a cool, dry place for at least 4 hours (overnight works best)

When they are all set up, flip the pan over onto a cutting board.  Use a pizza cutter dusted with your powder mixture to cut out bite-sized marshmallows. 

After cutting, toss each piece in the powder mixture to prevent them from sticking together and store in an airtight container.   They will keep for several weeks (although they probably won;t be around for that long)

Create Fire(Starters)

Spring is upon us and therefore camping season is right around the corner.  We love spending time under the stars, roasting marshmallows over a campfire.  And one of the best ways we've found to ensure we have a roaring fire is to make sure we have plenty of these fire starters on hand.  These are made from stuff you would normally throw away so some pre-planning is necessary. 

You will need:
an empty egg carton
dryer lint
paraffin wax
a tin can to melt the wax in

 Start with a simple double boiler to melt the wax.  Fill a sauce pan with about 1 1/2 to 2 inches of water and place your tin can in.

 

Add your block of paraffin wax and turn the stove to medium.

 While that melts, move on to the next step. 

Take the dryer lint and stuff it into each of the dimples.

Once you have stuffed each of the dimples with lint it's time for the wax.

Pour your melted wax evenly over each lint pocket.

And that's it... let it dry and store it with your camping gear.  When you need a fire starter, break off one or two of these and add them to your kindling.  They work great.