Campfire Banana Boat

By Darci Friesen

What you're going to need:

  1. A roll of tinfoil (or at least enough to wrap around each banana twice)
  2. Bananas
  3. Mini marshmallows
  4. Small chocolate chunks (I prefer milk chocolate chips – but any kind will do)
  5. Optional: any nuts/fruit/candy you desire
  6. A necessity: napkins, wash cloths, bibs...a change of clothes...extra napkins
  7. A campfire (or an oven, if you want to destroy the magical outdoor experience!)

Build your campfire good and hot – eventually using large logs to increase the heat. Hint: this would be a perfect time to roast a meat missile to masticate (hang on now... I'm talking hot dogs!) You want to wait until the flames have died down and the base of the fire consists mainly of hot coals/embers (note: you don't need the fire to be out, as long as there's a good foundation of embers, you can continue to add wood.

Prep:

  1. Measure a length of tinfoil: 4-5 inches longer than your banana on either end, and about a foot wide. You will need two such pieces of foil.
  2. Lay the banana (peel on) on a flat surface and position so that it looks like a smile – not a frown! Cut from tip to end, forming an elongated oval - the shape of a canoe. You will need to cut through the peel and halfway into the banana, with each cut angled in towards the centre of the fruit – resulting in a “V” shaped trench. (Hint: Anyone remember the way Subway used to cut their buns?)
  3. Carefully remove the peel you have cut away and set it to the side – you'll need it later.
  4. Gently take out the cut piece of banana – slowly, you may have to keep your knife handy, just in case the cuts failed to meet in the middle, forming the base of the “V”.  Set aside the long, “Toblerone-esque” piece of banana - you may choose to use it/eat it later.
  5. At this stage, your banana should still have the majority of its peel intact – it should resemble a normal banana – though with a valley cut from stem to end.
  6. Take your marshmallows, chocolates, candies, nuts...you name it (you can even cut up your extra piece of banana to add)... and lay them inside the banana-trench. Hint – in this case, less IS more! If you overindulge, you will have sticky goo everywhere (Parents: take heed - this is a word to the wise...)
  7. When satisfied with your stuffing, replace the peel, taking care to cover the 'sweets that lie beneath'.
  8. Place your banana on the tinfoil, making sure it doesn't tip over.
  9. Carefully fold the tinfoil over both ends of the banana, then lift the two long sides of foil up -  meeting in the middle. Your creation should now resemble a tent.
  10. Holding both pieces of tinfoil together, proceed to roll them (like mom used to roll closed your paper-bag lunch) all the way down – you want to make sure it's sealed tight.
  11. Take your banana-burrito and place it on the second piece of tinfoil. Use it to further wrap your culinary campfire creation, keeping in mind that its contents will be melting. You DO NOT want leaks.
  12. Place your metallic morsel into the bottom of the fire – not too close to the hot embers: You want it to heat slowly and thoroughly.
  13. Depending on your fire, this should take approximately 10 minutes.
  14. Remove, and let sit for at least 5 minutes... or until cool enough to eat.
  15. Grab a fork and refer to #6 of the supply list.  How you choose to enjoy your palate pleasing plantain is up you. Some remove the tinfoil it its entirety – others peel back the foil from the middle (like a baked potato).
  16. IMPORTANT: banana boats taste like ‘more’.