Here are some recipes… I will apologize for any grammar issues in the ones labelled "Another Fork in the Trail" as I won't have the final files back from the editor until later today or tomorrow. This is the début for those two recipes and the book will be on shelves very soon, as layout starts this week.
Mayan Hot Chocolate
©2008 A Fork in the Trail
Make 4 servings
The movie Chocolat was the inspiration for this drink.
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup Nestle Nido or whole milk powder
1 tablespoon powdered coffee creamer
1/4 cup vanilla sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper
At Home
Mix the dry ingredients together, and place them in a ziplock freezer bag.
At Camp
Shake the bag of dry ingredients to ensure they are well combined. Place 4 tablespoons of mix in a cup and carefully fill it with 8 ounces of boiling water. Stir until the ingredients dissolve. Repeat for each desired serving.
Note: I usually grind the crushed red chili pepper in a mortar and pestle or you can use a pinch of cayenne if you like more heat. If you don't like powdered coffee creamer just use a little more milk powder.
Mayan Black Bean Brownies
©2010 Another Fork in the Trail
(Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free)
Makes 4 servings
I’ll never forget the day I first served these to my son Tobias. I was waiting for the grimace because they were made with beans. Instead I got a remark about his father being in the woods and his query as to whether he could devour his Dad’s portion too. I figured that was a pass for this recipe. If you like the combination of salt and sweet you could sprinkle a little coarse salt on the top right before baking.
1/6 cup almond meal
1/6 cup black bean flour (see note)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa or carob powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 cup cocoa nibs, mini chocolate chips or carob chips
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 cup almond butter
1 teaspoon store-bought egg replacer or the enough homemade egg replacer to make 1 egg
1/8 cup plus enough water for the egg replacer
At Home
Mix the almond meal, black bean flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cocoa nibs, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper together and place in a ziplock freezer bag. Put the egg replacer powder in a snack sized ziplock bag with a note stating how much water to add for 1 egg. Put this bag in the bag with the dry ingredients. Add the almond butter to the other almond butter that you are taking on your trip or package it in a leakproof container and add it to the bag with the dry ingredients.
At Camp
Add the water to the egg replacer as indicated on your note and set aside. Melt the almond butter in a pan over low heat. Remove from the heat and add 1/8 cup of water, and the egg replacement mixture, to the freezer bag containing the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour the batter into a into a pot or pan lined with parchment paper, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool and serve. Wrap any leftovers in plastic wrap for the next day.
Note for Black Bean Flour from the Intro Chapters of Another Fork in the Trail…
Bean Flours
While you can buy flours such as chickpea or soybean flour, I often make my own. The texture isn’t quite as fine as commercially available bean flour but that is preferred for some recipes.
Take several cups of cooked and cooled chickpeas or garbanzo beans and puree them in a food processor. Spread on lined dehydrator trays and dry for 5 to 7 hours at 135°F or until the mixture resembles dried cracked earth. Grind the dried beans into a powder — a spice or coffee grinder works best for this.
Chickpea/Garbanzo bean flours are good for items such as flatbread and bannock. Black bean flour is wonderful for baked goods such as brownies or chocolate cake. White bean flour is best for baked goods such as white cake where the batter is a light color.
Chai Hot Chocolate
©2010 Another Fork in the Trail
(Ovo-Lacto Vegetarian and Gluten Free)
Makes 4 servings
This decadent and spicy hot chocolate can be made with white or milk chocolate or a combination of the two. It makes a great dessert or a warming treat on a snowy hike.
1/3 cup white chocolate or milk chocolate
1/2 cup Nestlé Nido or other whole milk powder
1/8 teapsoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
1/8 teapsoon cinnamon
1/16 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
At Home
Grind the white chocolate in a coffee grinder or blender until the chocolate is in fine pieces. Mix the chocolate and spices with the powdered milk, and place the powder in a ziplock freezer bag.
At Camp
Shake the bag of dry ingredients to ensure they are well combined. Place 3 heaping tablespoons of mix into a cup and carefully fill it with 8 ounces of boiling water. Stir until the ingredients dissolve. Repeat for each desired serving.
Tip
Don’t use chocolate chips for this recipe. They tend to clump because they are made to hold their shape, to an extent, when heated.
