This Waypoint is awesome. It’s a Chimney Trail favorite.
We’re going to show you how to take Ina Garten’s recipe for Peach and Blueberry Crumbles and make it at the campsite over the fire.
Take everything you’ve learned from our Start a Bonfire and Cook a Campfire Meal Waypoints, and turn that recipe into the most delicious dessert out camping you can imagine. S’mores ain’t got anything on this.
For the fruit:
For the crumble:
The recipe calls for 1 stick of butter, but because we always go on a big hike when we’re out camping, we add an extra stick, because we deserve it (and so will you).
You’ll also need a cast iron pan to cook it in over the fire, a big lighter to start the fire, some good gloves to pull it off the fire, and a bunch of kids ready to get their hands dirty mixing all the berries together.
There are at least two things you can do the night before to make life easier at the campsite.
1. Boil the Peaches
We need to soften them up and remove their skin. To do that, get one bowl of cold water ready and one pot of water boiling. Immerse the peaches in the boiling water for 30 seconds to a minute until their skins peel off easily. Pull them out, peel off the skin, then place them immediately in cold water. After about a minute, slice them into thick wedges, and place them in a zip lock bag to bring to the campsite.
2. Make the Crumble
This one the kids should be able to do. combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and butter in the bowl. Use an electric mixer with a paddle attachment to mix it on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. Let the kids get messy by rubbing the mixture with their fingertips until it's in big crumbles. Place these as well in a zip lock bag to bring to the campsite.
Bring your softened peaches, fresh crumble, and the rest of your ingredients for the fruit with you to the campsite in your cooler. This gonna be good.
This should be nothing new to you know, but if you’re just joining us, see here for some instructions: Start a Bonfire.
We want coals for this one. So start your fire at least an hour before you want to eat. The crumble will take maybe 20 minutes to heat up and 10 minutes to cool down, but the fire will need at least 30 minutes or more to burn into coals before you can cook up our meal.
If you time it just right, you can get your coals going for dinner, and once dinner is made, swap in your Peach and Berry Crumble pan onto the coals you already have going, so that your dessert is ready once the main meal is complete.
To learn more about getting your coals just right, check out our Level Up Your Camp Stove Waypoint.
While your fire is burning away, bust out those peaches and berries and remaining ingredients for the fruit.
Make sure your kids wash their hands, because they’re about to get messy again.
Add the peaches to a bowl with the lemon zest, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and flour. Mix well. Then, add all your berries to the bowl, and let the kids toss the mixture all around. They WILL want to get rowdy with this part. Try to refrain them from smushing the berries too much - if that’s at all possible.
Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes before pouring it into your cast iron pan.
We’re almost done. Marvel in the deliciousness of all that fruit together, then let the kids do the honor of sprinkling the crumble on top.
There’s no right or wrong way to do any of this really, but the best outcome occurs when the crumble covers the whole top of the fruit mixture evenly.
When you think you’ve got enough coals going, spread them out in an even layer slightly bigger than the size or your pan.
Then plan your pan on top of those coals, and push the rest of your coals around the sides of the pan. You want an even distribution of heat and a pretty level playing ground so the mixture doesn’t slide around.
This next part should take about 20 minutes. Tell the kids you’re waiting for the berry mixture to start bubbling. Chances are you’ll get some quiet time for a bit while they stare at that pan waiting for those bubbles.
PRO-TIP: If you have a lid for your cast iron pan, put it on top, then toss some coals on top of that to get a truly even cook. You won’t be able to watch for bubbles, but you'll get a sweet, sweet distribution of heat.
Once your berry mixture is bubbling, let it sit a few more minutes, then pull it off the fire. Now you want to torch that crumble to get a nice crisp burn on top. If you brought a big lighter, use it like a mini blow torch. Or go SUPER caveman and use a burning stick to char it like you would a marshmallow.
Your pan is going to be HOT when you’re done, and so will the dessert in it. Let it cool for a few minutes, maybe firm up a bit, then spoon it out to the crew.
If you brought that whip cream, now’s the time to “whip” it out. Yeah it seems ridiculous to pack whip cream in your cooler, but if you don’t tell your kids, and then pull it as a surprise, they will never forget that camping trip.
To start up a fire again with your coals, push the remaining coals together, get your kids to gather some twigs, and make a quick tipi. Then grab a hat and fan the flames. Make sure everyone stays back away from blowing ash. In 20 or so seconds, a flame will start up again, and you can build into another fire.
Make sure to follow Leave No Trace when it comes to cleaning everything up including dishes when you’re done.
We sincerely hope you enjoy this dessert. It’s a favorite with our families, and it’s made for some amazing memories already. Let us know how it turns out for your family!
Garrett Santos on October 12, 2020
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