Campfire Treats

I did not invent this treat. I don't know who did or if there's anyone out there who can claim the combination of fruit and chocolate. If there is an "inventor," they are a genius.

My husband found this idea somewhere on the interwebs and we decided to give it a try last week. We made a simple dinner in the house and then started our fire to make dessert and linger outside on a nice spring evening. I have to apologize in advance for the quality of the images you're about to see. They're hurried phone photos with terrible lighting. I guess I was too excited about the final product to dig out the fancy camera.

Orange Brownies with a-Peel

 Makes 6-8 (depending on the size of your oranges and how much batter you eat during prep)

You will need:
* Oranges (1 per person)
* Brownie Mix and any accompanying ingredients (ours called for 2/3 c. of yogurt)
* A campfire
* Aluminum foil

Instructions:
Cut the oranges in half
Dig out and eat the fruit

Prepare brownie mix per instructions
Pour batter into hollowed out orange halves; leave a little room for the batter to expand when cooked

Put the halves back together (making a whole orange again)
Wrap the orange in aluminum foil

Throw them in the campfire and cook for 25-35 minutes

Open up the foil and eat the cooked brownies

(this is the picture I have to apologize for the most. It does NOT make this treat look good but believe me, you guys...they.are.awesome.)

Sigh with delight while stargazing

Best Practices:
* Great for kids/families as they do not require a lot of work. You could make these in any backyard fire pit if camping's not for you.
* You can use any brownie mix you want so if you have dietary restrictions in your family, there's probably a mix out there for you (my hubby is dairy-free which is why we used this mix and almond yogurt).
* Leave them in the fire for approximately the same amount of time that you would cook them in the oven.
* Turn them every once in a while to make sure they're evenly cooked.

The oranges do a great job at keeping the brownies soft and moist. There have to be great ways to alter this recipe (clementines for smaller treats? Lemons or Limes with a white cake batter? Mix some of the orange pieces into the batter for more flavor?). Let me know if you come up with any other great variations.