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Redding’s an Oven: Bake S’Mores
It is 109 as I type. Lows of 105 are forecast for later this week.
Burrrrrrr. Somebody bring me a sweater.
As a heat weenie, I’ve whined about the north state’s heat since the July I was 5 and our family moved from Canada to Redding and I withered for what would be only the first of many times in Redding’s heat.
My mother said that only mad dogs and Englishmen would live in Redding’s heat, but she must have been wrong about that, because I’m neither, and I’m still here, and many of you are still here.
We could whine about the oozing lipsticks and crayons that ruined our car’s interiors. We could whine about windshields that cracked during a car wash. We could whine about torturous outdoor weddings that produced fainting brides and weeping cakes. We could whine about scorched gardens and parched soil. We could whine about metal playground slides that should display warning labels.
Nobody likes a whiner.
To accompany my new no-whimpering attitude adjustment, I put Redding’s heat to good use last week. I turned my Prius into a mobile oven.
I baked s’mores while I ran errands. I chose s’mores because I had many bars of chocolate, jars of marshmallow creme and boxes of graham crackers left over from ArtHop’s first birthday party in Library Park.
Earlier that morning I assembled the cold s’mores and placed them in a metal tin, which I put in the back of the car. I went about my day with many stops and starts and stops and starts until my final stop, Kelly’s house for a little computer camaraderie. (We don’t do meetings.)
I opened the tin and offered s’mores all around. Everyone loved them. The s’mores were warm - nearly hot - and the chocolate had completely melted - maybe too much. Truth be told, they were less messy to eat after they’d acclimated to the Brewer house, when the chocolate had settled down and wasn’t so runny.
The s’mores stayed warm and delicious all afternoon.
Let’s see, what shall we bake next in Redding’s natural oven?
I’m taking suggestions. In the meantime, I must go check on some sweet potatoes I left outside in a metal bowl full of water. I’m sure they’ve boiled by now.
Lucky me. I always wanted an outdoor oven.
Redding’s Oven S’Mores
1 vehicle 1 Redding summer day, or anywhere that routinely delivers 100+ temps Graham crackers Marshmallow creme (or large marshmallows) Chocolate bars (I used Hershey’s Special Dark)Break graham crackers in two, following the dotted line.
Spread some marshmallow creme on both pieces of graham cracker. Place a square of chocolate on one marshmallowed graham cracker, then top the chocolate with the other graham cracker (yes, marshmallow-side down).
You’ve made one s’more sandwich. Congratulations.
Repeat these steps until you run out of one of your three ingredients. Eat the balance of what remains, and hope it’s chocolate, and not marshmallow creme.
Line a metal box (or Tupperware) with parchment paper or waxed paper. Put one layer of s’mores on the paper, being careful to not let them touch. (The marshmallow will expand and ooze in the heat, which reminds me, don’t go overboard on the marshmallow creme. A little goes a long way.)
Cover that layer with parchment paper, then place another layer of s’mores on the paper. Reat until you run out of room or s’mores.
Place the container in the back of your car. If you have a trunk, that’s even better.
Drive around, or leave your car parked and let Redding’s oven work its unconventional magic.
Your s’mores will be ready to eat in probably 30 minutes to an hour, but it’s OK to let them hang out all day. Enjoy.
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LOVE IT! Great idea!
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Doni, Is this what ya call “road food”? I’ve got the perfect oven. an old Toyota wagon with no air. It bakes at about 350 each and every July day.
Why, just recently we barbequed a steak in the back seat.
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What a fun idea and surprise this will be to share with all my co-workers tomorrow afternoon. Thanks for sharing your idea with the rest of us Redding-ites who also hate the heat!!!!!
Maybe we ought to make this into a little contest (no prizes necessary however) to put our heat to use and make a “car recipe” that is serve-safe and won’t make us sick with any weird bacteria stuff happening in the minimal heat…….what d’ ya think?
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http://bakingbites.com/2007/09/car-baked-chocolate-chip-cookies-step-by-step/
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salmon on a cedar plank???
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I like Loves to Eat’s idea about a contest. (I second LTE’s desire that we avoid bacteria producers, so let’s avoid dairy and meat ingredients, OK - which means, 343, no planked fish.)
Make your vehicle-baked dish, then email me the recipe and a photo and I’ll gladly publish it on anewscafe.com.
And how shall the contest go from there? (I’m lousy at this stuff.)
On your marks, get set, bake (in a car or pickup).
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OK - I’m going to Sac to see my mom next week; she doesn’t like to cook much any more, so this is the plan for the family dinner -
If we leave about 3:00:
Pack the car and park it out front to preheat the trunk.
Preheat the oven in the house to 500.
Put a nice big prime rib roast in the oven for abut 15 minutes to get it started.
( bone side down in a big heavy pan)
Take off down I-5 with the roast in the back.
Stop at Williams & Woodland to check the meat thermometer.
Two & a half hours on the road should be just right for an 8-10 lb roast.
While it rests at Mom’s, we can toss a salad and heat some veggies.
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What a great idea…
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Even better knowing that all ingredients can be bought at Redding Outlet at great prices.
With this heat wave you could probably put the ingredients to stew in alumiun foil in the car and have it fully cooked at the end of the day.
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The car is a great place to toast your nuts (I mean like sunflower and pumpkin seeds :*) !
But just a word of caution — I had one of those cans of flat tire fixes in the back of my car and it exploded last week when it was only 102 outside. My car was all sealed up and parked in the sun downtown, when I came back to it the can had exploded and this sticky, white, gasoline smelling gunk was all over the back window! I guess I should feel lucky that it didn’t bust out a window or hit me in the back of the head!
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Steve…I like your idea of the roast in the trunk. My old Japanese wagon gets hot enough to cook that puppie at trip’s end.
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