The weather is heating up in the valley, causing many students to take to the canyons to cool down.
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Campfire enthusiasts often have a modern twist for treats, even for classics like s’mores.
“If you do s’mores, it works great to use the fudge stripe cookies — the ones with the chocolate on the bottom,” said Jill Olsen, a campfire enthusiast, about her s’more variation. “The chocolate melts really quick and easy.”
Olsen and her husband Mark often gather with their four children and three granddaughters around the fire pit in their backyard in Hurricane. Her husband and his brother built a portable fire pit that has become a hub of family fun year round. One of Olsen’s favorite memories is roasting hot dogs and marshmallows with family and friends one Christmas Eve.
“It’s a fun activity that is free and lends itself to just relaxing and enjoying each other’s company,” she said. “Something about hanging out around a campfire brings out relaxed, friendly attitudes.”
The Olsen family includes roasted Starbursts in their campfire treats menu.
“We discovered roasted Starbursts at girls’ camp one year and they’ve been a family favorite ever since,” Olsen said. ” When trying to describe the change, all we could say was that it intensified the flavor.”
Other campfire enthusiasts also love roasting Starbursts.
“Sounds crazy I know but they taste yummy,” said Siri Stone Alemany, a BYU graduate with a degree in art history and curatorial studies.
There are numerous websites packed with ideas for tasty and creative treats around the campfire. Sunset.com offers variations of s’mores such as using peanut butter cookies and adding sliced bananas or strawberries to the roasted marshmallow and chocolate filling.
For a new taste, try substituting Nutella for chocolate or adding candy such as M&Ms or Reese’s Pieces.
Roasting refrigerated biscuit dough is another quick and easy alternative to roasting a marshmallow.
Tina Hatch Ellsworth of Santaquin has a quick and easy recipe for a sweet roll.
“Stretch a biscuit out long and narrow and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar,” Ellsworth said.
Ellsworth suggested folding the biscuit together lengthwise and winding it around a roasting stick. She said to roast the biscuit slowly like a marshmallow so it cooks thoroughly without a doughy center. When the biscuit is golden brown, simply slide it off the stick and top with canned icing.
Lauren Lytle, a recent BYU graduate with a degree in communications, suggests visiting summitcampinggear.com for recipe ideas. These recipes go beyond traditional marshmallows and the fruit adds nutritional value.
Recipes from summitcampinggear.com:
Dreamy Campfire Banana Boats
For each serving, you will need:
1 banana
Chocolate bar or several chocolate chips
3 or 4 marshmallows
Leave the banana inside the peel and cut lengthwise. Stuff with chocolate and marshmallows and wrap the banana in aluminum foil. Cook in hot coals 10 to 15 minutes, turning often.
Campsite Baked Apples
Core an apple and fill with your choice of yummy ingredients, like peanut butter and raisins or butter, cinnamon and sugar. Wrap stuffed apple in aluminum foil and bake in hot coals 10 to 15 minutes.
