Not that there's anything wrong with warming up with whiskey, of course. But sometimes a rich, cozy, hot drink on a cold hike is all you need, and more. I don't regularly backpack in winter temperatures, but a recent trip to the Indian Heaven Wilderness was one of my coldest trips to date. Temperatures overnight were well below freezing, and plunged quickly as the sun went down. I was backpacking alone (and flask-less), so I chose what I thought might be the third best way to stay happy and warm in the backcountry: making UNBELIEVABLY good hot chocolate on my little alcohol stove. Forget the chalky packets of hot cocoa you can buy at the grocery store: this is a dry cocoa mix for chocolate lovers. Made with ground high-quality chocolate bars, this mix packs deep chocolate flavor and an indulgent calorie count, making it an ideal treat for the trail. The original recipe calls for whole milk, but I've adapted it to incorporate powdered milk to make it a backpacker-friendly concoction. You can also substitute powdered coconut milk if you are dairy-free, although the measurement of coconut milk powder may need adjusting depending on which type you are using. If you have a food processor, this mix is a breeze to make. (And I'd still argue it's worth it even if you have to chop or grate the chocolate by hand.) The mix also makes a wonderful holiday gift! Give it a try to treat both yourself and your nearest and dearest this winter. Happy trails! Backcountry Hot Chocolate Mix Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, who adapted it a little from Cook’s Illustrated Yield: Enough for 9 cups of cocoa 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar 1 tbsp (8 g) cornstarch 3 oz (85 g) dark chocolate, roughly chopped 1/2 cup (40 g) cocoa powder 1/4 tsp vanilla extract (or scrape a tiny piece of a fresh vanilla bean. You're so FANCY.) 1/4 tsp kosher salt The easiest way to do this is to combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until powdery. And that's it! If you don’t have a food processor, you can also simply chop or grate the chocolate as finely as you can stand to do it, and then mix in the rest of the ingredients. Store the mixture in an airtight container. If you're drinking your cocoa at home (gotta sample it first, right?), heat one cup of milk in a saucepan over medium to low heat until it's steaming. (Deb notes that non-dairy milks like coconut or almond will also work here.) Add 3 tablespoons of the hot chocolate mix and whisk on the heat for a minute or so. When the mix is completely dissolved, pour into mug and enjoy! Taking that cocoa to go? Before you leave for the trail, measure out 3 tablespoons of mix for each 8 ounce-ish serving you want to have on hand. Add in 3 tablespoons of dry milk powder per serving and mix well. Put each serving into a snack-size ziploc. On trail, heat a scant cup of water until hot but not simmering. Stir in one ziploc of backcountry hot chocolate mix until the mix dissolves. Don't let it simmer - I found it useful to take the pot on and off the heat as needed. Want to add a twist? Add dashes of chile powder, cinnamon and cayenne for Mexican Hot Chocolate; use mint extract instead of vanilla (it's the ultralight way to bring along a candy cane); or make it a mocha by adding a few tablespoons of espresso powder to the original batch of mix.
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Thanksgiving is easily my favorite holiday. I love fall foods, spending hours in the kitchen preparing for a special meal for family and friends, and the excuse to splurge on butter, cream, and sugar. I'm ordinarily not much of a dessert person, but I love a slice of a well-made pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. And it recently occurred to me that this dessert delight could surely be enjoyed on trail as well as at the dinner table. Earlier this fall, I acquired a copy of Chef Glenn McAllister's Recipes for Adventure. His website, BackpackingChef.com, is a resource I've been returning to again and again, and I decided it was about time to check out his printed cookbook as well. One recipe that immediately caught my eye was for Pumpkin Pie Bark. Chef Glenn suggests rehydrating the bark into a simple pudding, which sounded tasty enough, but what I really wanted was to recreate the flavor of a real pumpkin pie in a backpacker-friendly way. This recipe takes a little work, both at home and in camp, but is very well worth it, especially if you're hiking around the holidays and want to treat yourself and your hiking partners to an unexpected treat. A stove that has an adjustable flame is essential here to ensure you don't scorch the custard while it thickens. See below for the recipe. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Backcountry Pumpkin Pie
Note 1: Follow the link below for Chef Glenn's recipe for pumpkin pie bark. I made two tweaks: First, I roasted my own squash (I prefer kabocha squash to pie pumpkin) and then pureed it. I also found the spice level to be a tad high. I'd reduce to 1 1/2 tsp of pie spice per 2 cups of pumpkin. I also added in a grating of fresh nutmeg. This recipe makes 1 generous serving of pumpkin custard. Note 2: To make your life easier on trail, you could throw the pumpkin bark in the food processor to grind it up and ensure a smoother result. Ingredients: 1/2 cup pumpkin bark 1 TBSP + 2 tsp powdered whole milk (I like Peak Dry Whole Milk Powder) 1 TBSP powdered eggs (I've been impressed by OvaEasy Whole Egg Crystals) 2 tsp sugar 3/4 cup water small handful granola of choice At home: combine the dry ingredients in a ziploc. Make sure you have a 3/4 cup measuring line marked on your trusty Talenti cup (or otherwise can measure approximately this much water). To prepare the custard: start by combining the dry ingredients with the water. If you have a watertight screw top container, it's helpful to be able to vigorously shake the custard mix to help get rid of any lumps. Otherwise a little elbow grease and your spork should do the trick. When the egg and milk powders have dissolved, pour the mixture into your cooking pot and cook over a low flame, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick. Turn off your stove and let the custard cool. Top with granola and enjoy your backcountry pumpkin pie! Last weekend I finally accomplished one of the more meaningful hiking goals I set for myself this year: to participate in at least one day of trail maintenance with the Pacific Crest Trail Association. I happened to choose a work party that provided a perfect introduction to trail maintenance because our goal was simple but essential: to repair the basic tread of the trail. We dug out large rocks, altered the slope and width of the trail as necessary, and hauled heavy bags of dirt up to the trail to fill in the giant holes left by the rocks we'd removed. I was also thrilled to learn essential techniques like the "butt 'n boot": you sit on your butt, put your boots on the rock, and use the strength in your quads to move exceptionally large rocks off the trail. Aside from the rain, (it was late October in Oregon - I knew what I was signing up for) it really was a fantastic day. We had a great crew working together and it was deeply satisfying to observe the difference in the condition of the trail and to know that our sweat and strain helped protect the trail and improve the experience of hikers for many years to come. I was also excited to use my PCT work day as an opportunity to try a new version of a backpacking lunch recipe I've been refining on my past few overnight trips. It's a pretty simple meal that does not require a stove, but packs complex carbs, healthy protein, and flavorful dehydrated veggies into a convenient handheld package that really fuels your hike--or your fourth butt 'n boot of the day, as the case may be. Tomato & Tuna Salad Wrap 1 TBSP dehydrated leeks, shallots or onions 3 TBSP dehydrated tomatoes 1 tsp dried parsley 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/4 tsp granulated garlic 1/4 tsp each kosher salt + black pepper 1 packet True Lemon 3 oz pouch of tuna 1 packet mayonnaise or cream cheese 1 whole wheat tortilla Optional: fresh herbs Combine the dehydrated leeks, tomatoes, parsley, True Lemon, and spices in a snack-size ziploc bag. Pack this along with the tortilla, tuna, and creamy topping of your choice in a gallon-size ziploc. About an hour before you want to eat lunch, rehydrate the dried veggies, either in the pouch if you are confident of the seal, or in your favorite rehydration vessel. When ready to eat, mix in the tuna. Gracefully schmear the cream cheese or mayo on the wrap and top with the tomato-tuna mixture. If you're on a day hike or the first day of a backpacking trip and are feeling fancy, add some fresh herbs! Parsley, dill, basil, or cilantro would all go well with these flavors. Close up your wrap and enjoy. |
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