For something to do on a dull day at home, with your parents’ permission, try your hand at making your own marshmallows. This is a fun recipe that you can make at home and take with you to camp or on a hike. You will find it quite rewarding knowing that you made the marshmallows yourself.
Makes: About 36 small marshmallows
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
1 envelope (1 tablespoon/15 mL) iflavoured gelatine
1/3 cup (75 mL) water
¼ cup (50 mL) cornstarch
1/3 cup (75 mL) icing sugar
2/3 cup (150 mL) granulated sugar
½ cup (125 mL) white or light corn mup
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla extract

Sprinkle the gelatine into the water in a small pot and let soak for five mines. Meanwhile, sift the cornstarch and icing sugar into a bowl. Lightly grease an 8-by-8-inch (20-by-20-cm) pan and sprinkle 1 tablespoon (25 mL) of the cornstarch/icing sugar mixture into it. Tilt the pan to coat the sides and the bottom. Leave any excess in the pan. Add the granulated sugar to the gelatine mixture and stir over low heat until the gelatine and sugar dissolve. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the gelatine mixture, corn syrup, salt and vanilla and beat, using the wire whip :attachment, for 15 minutes on high speed, until peaks form. Spread the meringue-like mixture in the prepared pan and smooth the top. (Does not have to be perfect). Leave for two hours or until set.
With a wet knife, cut the marshmallow mixture into quarters and loosen around the edges. Sprinkle the remaining cornstarch-and-sugar mixture on a baking sheet and invert the marshmallow blocks onto it. Cut each quarter into nine pieces and roll each one in the starch and sugar.
Place the marshmallows on a cake rack covered with paper towels and let them stand overnight to dry the surface slightly. The marshmallows will keep for a month if stored in an airtight container.
Note: Unflavoured gelatine is sold in boxes in most supermarkets and can usually be found in the aisle Puddings are sold.

Who can resist this combination of gooey, sweet and crunchy brownies …. Take marshmallows, toasted nuts and chocolate, melt and swirl them together on top of a dark fudgy brownie, and then stand back. This recipe requires some work, but you will find it rewarding in the end.

Makes two or three dozen brownies
For the base
1 1/3 cups (325 mL) butter, plus some for greasing the pan
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups (300 mL) granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups (300 mL) brown sugar
1 teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups (300 mL) high quality Dutch cocoa
1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons (7 mL) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) salt

For the topping
1 cup (250 mL) milk
1/3 cup (75 mL) high quality Dutch cocoa
1 cu p (250 mL) granulated, sugar
½ cup [125 mL] butter
1/3 cup [75 mL] corn syrup
Pinch of salt
5 oz semi sweet chocolate finely chopped
1 teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla extract
20 large marshmallows cut in quarters
1 cup (250 mL) broken pecan or peanuts
8 ounce (200 g) semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

For the base: Butter a 9-by-13-inch (23-by 32-cm) baking pan, line with foil, and butter again. You can fold your aluminum foil to make your own baking pan. (Preparing the pan this way ensures a perfectly baked brownie that is easy to remove).
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat.
Beat the eggs, sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the melted butter and stir to combine. In a separate bowl, mix the cocoa, flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the beaten egg mixture, stirring until well combined. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Place in the reflector oven or in a camp oven and Bake for about an hour or until “done”.
For the topping: While the brownies are baking, prepare the topping. In a heavy saucepan, combine the milk, cocoa, sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture begins to boil. Lower the heat or hold the pan further away from the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes without stirring. Remove from the heat. Add the 5 ounces finely chopped chocolate and the vanilla, but do not stir. After 15 minutes, stir to combine

When the brownies are done remove from the oven, cover the hot brownies with the marshmallows quarters. Sprinkle with the pecans or peanuts and the 8 ounces (200 g) coarsely chopped chocolate.

Return to the oven for 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and pour the chocolate sauce over top of the brownies and swirl with a knife. Cool in the pan for 4 to 5 hours and then remove. Peel off the foil and cut into bars or squares.

Enjoy. These brownies may be stored in a tightly closed container for up to 5 days.

Try this recipe if there are fire restrictions where you're camping that require you to use a camp stove, not a camp fire, to cook your food.

Preparation time: 2-3 minutes
Makes: 1 serving
Cook time: 4-6 minutes
For each S'more:
2 large, round digestive cookies
1 marshmallow, cut into three rounds
1 tablespoon (15 mL) chocolate chips or small chocolate bar pieces

Heat a non-sticking frying pan over medium low heat. Sandwich the marshmallow rounds and chocolate chips or pieces between cookies. Set in pan and cover. Cook 2-3 minutes - be sure heat is not too high or it will burn the bottom then turn over and cook 2-3 minutes more, or until marshmallows and chocolate chips begin to melt and become gooey. Cool slightly before devouring.