Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Campfire Chocolate Eclairs

If I could choose any doughnut in the whole wide world, any at all, I would choose a chocolate eclair.  I love them. They are pastry perfection in my opinion. And though I rarely indulge in these creamy, gooey, doughnutty delights, I also pretty much never turn them down when an opportunity arises.  Unfortunately, chocolate eclairs just aren't available everywhere you go.  Sure, you can get one at the doughnut shop.  But, do they sell them for dessert at restaurants?  Can you get one at the gas station?  Do you have a recipe for eclairs in your old beat up recipe box?  Not usually, and so we are left with an aching desire to eat more of them.

I have another love, campfires.  I love the way they flicker and dance in the dark.  I love the way that they magnetically draw people to stand or sit around them and chat.  I love roasting things over them.  Marshmallows, hot dogs, cocoa...ahhhhh.

But, until now, my friends, I have never experienced the joy of campfires and chocolate eclairs at the same time.  But, brace yourselves....I found a recipe for CAMPFIRE CHOCOLATE ECLAIRS!  It's a match made in heaven.   Here's what you do:

Gather your supplies.  You'll need:

A campfire
A roasting stick (or aluminum tent poles or green sticks with the bark peeled off)
Vanilla Pudding cups
1 package Pillsbury Quick crescent rolls
A can of ready to spread chocolate frosting
Tinfoil

Wrap the aluminum foil tightly around the end of the roasting stick.  Form dough of crescent roll around foil to make a tubular shape.  The roll dough is shaped like triangles. I started with the big end and then kind of wrapped it around itself until I got to the small end.  Then I squeezed it just a little to make it hold together.


Now, for the roasting.  You must be patient even though it's a little exciting.   Cook slowly over hot coals.  You have to rotate often and make sure that you are not cooking the tip more than the rest.  Even and golden brown is the goal.  If you cook it too fast you will have a doughy center. It will take a few minutes.

Sometimes you have to squeeze the foil a little tighter around the stick in order to prevent it from spinning around on the stick when you rotate it.

OK, once the dough in nice and brown you can remove it from the foil.  I think it is a requirement that you have dirt under your fingernails when you do this.  At least that's what I was going for...camping authenticity.

Spoon it full of vanilla pudding.

Spread chocolate frosting on top and then...oops , I got so excited that I just went ahead and took a big bite before I took the picture.  But it was good...oh so good. 


Then after that I just didn't have time to stop and take pictures before I gobbled them down.  So, you'll have to try it out yourself.  You might want to plan a camping trip for the sole purpose of eating these.  Now, how can I make these in my own kitchen?  Any suggestions?

2 comments:

  1. Cool idea! I'll have to try it some time.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I bet you could bake them in the oven, wrapped around the same shape aluminum foil...?

    ReplyDelete