Orange Peel Campfire Brownies Food

SUGARED ORANGE PEELS

Steps:

• Remove the orange peels carefully, avoiding the pith, then cut the peels into 1/4-inch-wide strips.
• Add the peels and 1 cup cold water to a pan, bring to a boil and cook for 7 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Add 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water to a pan. Heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup is boiling. Add the peels, reduce to a simmer and cook, swirling the pan from time to time, for 20 minutes. Drain and set the peels aside to cool on a rack for 10 minutes.
• Add the remaining 1 cup sugar to a baking sheet. Add the peels and roll in the sugar to coat. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to set, about 30 minutes.

ORANGE PEEL CAMPFIRE BROWNIES

Steps:

• Combine the sugar, flour, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a large heavy duty resealable bag at home.
• At the campsite, scoop out the inside of the orange out being careful not to puncture the peel. Add the oil and eggs to the bag with the flour mixture, reseal and squish around until well combined. Fill each orange about 2/3 of the way and wrap twice in heavy duty aluminum foil.
• Put in a bed of coals, cut side up, and cover with more coals. Cook until the batter is set, 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the heat of your coals.
• Remove from coals and let sit a few minutes to cool.

CAMPFIRE COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookies: Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Beat the superfine sugar and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes; beat in the egg, then the vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix on medium-low speed until completely incorporated. Divide the dough in half, pat into 2 discs about 1/4-inch thick and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Let the dough sit at room temperature for a few minutes to make rolling easier. Roll out 1 disc of dough at a time on a floured work surface to about 1/4-inch thick. Cut out rounds with a 3 1/2-inch cookie cutter and arrange about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake, switching and rotating the pans halfway through, until the cookies are golden brown on the bottom, 10 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets until firm enough to transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.
• For the royal icing: Combine the confectioners' sugar and meringue powder in a large bowl. Add 5 tablespoons water and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft glossy peaks form, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons water if necessary, to make a thick but spreadable icing. Beat in the food coloring, a few drops at a time, to make a deep green color (for grass).
• For decorating: Spread the icing on the cookies, almost to the edges. Sprinkle the chopped chocolate covered nuts almost to the edge of the green to resemble dirt. Arrange 3 chewy chocolate candies in a triangle on top to resemble logs in a campfire. Fill the space in the center of each with snipped gummy bears to resemble a campfire and embers. Poke a marshmallow on the end of each pretzel stick and stick in the icing to form a tripod that meets in the center. Let the icing harden, about 1 hour.
• Right before serving, light the marshmallows on fire and blow it out when they are toasted to your liking.

CHRISTMAS BROWNIE TREES

Steps:

• For the brownies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of two 8-inch round cake pans. Cut two 8-inch circles out of parchment and line the bottoms of the cake pans with the parchment.
• Stir together the butter, granulated sugar, vanilla and eggs in a medium bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and divide the batter between the prepared pans, smoothing the tops. Bake until the brownies begin to gain a crust around the edges, pull away from the edge and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Let the brownies cool fully in the pans on cooling racks, about 1 hour. Cut each circle into 8 equal triangles with a knife. Use a small offset spatula or pie server to lift each triangle out of the pan.
• For the American buttercream frosting: Combine the confectioners' sugar, butter and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if using a handheld electric mixer). Mix on low speed until mostly incorporated. Add the vanilla, increase the speed to medium-high and mix until smooth. Loosen the consistency with milk as desired. Add 24 drops green food coloring and 1 drop red food coloring and mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Set aside.
• To assemble: Using the tip of a paring knife or a skewer, poke a small hole along the bottom edge of each brownie. Insert a candy cane "trunk" into each hole.
• Fill the piping bag with the frosting and cut 1/4 inch off the tip. Using a zig-zag motion, pipe the frosting from the base to the tip of each tree. Decorate the trees with the sanding sugars and candy-covered chocolate, as desired.