Cook camp stove doughnuts

You’ll need

Stoves
Gas
Pans
Bowls
Knives and forks
Chopping boards
Tongs or spatulas
Bread
Jam or chocolate spread
Pancake batter ingredients (see below)
Oil
Access to a sink or hand sanitiser to wash hands
Kitchen roll

Before you begin

Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Additional help to carry out your risk assessment, including examples can be found here. Don’t forget to make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help out if you’re short on helpers.
Review the safety information on gas stoves.

Set up the stoves

Everyone should form a horseshoe shape so they can see the person leading the activity.
The person leading the activity should get a stove. They should show everyone how to safely put it together and take it apart. They should answer people’s questions and repeat steps if people are unsure.

The person leading the activity should tell everyone about how to use the equipment safely. They should include how to connect the fuel, what the main risks are, and what people can do to control these risks.

Everyone should find a space and set up their own stove.
An adult should check that each person’s equipment is safe.

The ingredients

Ingredients

200g flour
Three tablespoons brown sugar
One teaspoon baking powder
375-500ml milk
One tablespoon oil
One teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Sugar (to serve)
Cinnamon (optional, to serve)

Mixing the ingredients

Everyone should wash their hands before handling the ingredients.
Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl, then add the oil (and vanilla extract, if you’re using it).
Gradually add the milk and mix it in. You may not need all of it – keep mixing and stop adding the milk when the batter’s the perfect consistency.
Take a second bowl and put the sugar in it (and the cinnamon too, if you’re using it). Put it to one side – you’ll dip the cooked doughnuts in this later on.

Cook the doughnuts

Spread jam or chocolate spread onto a slice of bread, then take a second slice and make a sandwich.
Cut off the crusts and cut the sandwich into four pieces.

If you don’t have enough chopping boards, people could just use a plate instead. Save the crusts, these can be used for breadcrumbs or fried up with eggs for breakfast.

Dip one doughnut at a time into the batter and make sure the bread is completely covered.

Use a fork or some tongs to do this so that no one touches the batter mix.

Light the stove.
Put some oil into a pan and place it on the stove to heat up.
When the oil’s hot, carefully place a coated doughnut into the pan to cook. Flip it over to stop it burning and keep cooking until it’s a golden brown colour.
Use the tongs to take the cooked doughnut out of the pan and place it into the bowl of sugar.
Use a spoon or the tongs to coat the doughnut in sugar (and cinnamon, if you’re using it), then place it on the chopping board or plate to cool for a minute before you try it. You could use this time to help clean up or wash the equipment!

Letting it cool is important – they’ll be really hot when they come out of the pan.

Reflection

Learning how to cook simple recipes that don’t use many ingredients or much equipment is a great skill for any budding adventurer. Why might this knowledge be helpful on expeditions or nights away?

People could think about the importance of being able to create as many different and tasty meals as possible from a small amount of food and equipment. This makes it easier to pack lightly when camping or trekking.

Being able to cook basic meals is also an important step towards independence. Cooking with a limited number of ingredients can help people develop their creativity.

Everyone should get into small groups and chat about other meals they could cook with the equipment and ingredients they have (and two or three added extras). Could they put these ideas to the test into an upcoming session?

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

Cooking: Teach young people how to use cooking equipment safely. Supervise them appropriately throughout. Make sure it’s safe to use and follow manufacturers’ guidelines for use.
Fires and stoves: Make sure anyone using fires and stoves is doing so safely. Check that the equipment and area are suitable and have plenty of ventilation. Follow the gas safety guidance. Have a safe way to extinguish the fire in an emergency.
Food: Remember to check for allergies, eating problems, fasting or dietary requirements and adjust the recipe as needed. Make sure you’ve suitable areas for storing and preparing food and avoid cross contamination of different foods. Take a look at our guidance on food safety and hygiene.