It's amazing how good of a dessert can be made while hiding out in the woods. Continue reading to find out how we did it.
Ok, we weren't actually hiding out in the woods, we were creating our unofficial entry to The Prepper Cook-Off Challenge #3. The goal of the challenge is to have fun and learn how to prepare tasty food with limited resources. In this version, contestants must prepare the tastiest food they can using ingredients they have foraged, plus a few extras from the cabin they found in the woods.
There is still about a week left to enter this Prepper Cook-Off Challenge and the prize pool up for grabs is substantial so you may just want to throw your hat into the ring.
Let's get in Character Shall We?
Aimee, me, and the rest of our clan had been hiding out in a cabin in the woods for several days. The last meal we prepared from storable ingredients was several days ago and we were hungry! Things seemed safe enough and we had not seen or heard anyone else in the forest since we made it to the cabin.
We cautiously ventured out to see what we could find. In the immediate vicinity of the cabin the woods were thick and the forest floor was shaded by the large trees. We had hoped to find some mushrooms in what seemed like ideal conditions but came up empty handed. Perhaps their season had already passed?
With no mushrooms in sight we decided to explore further from the cabin. We dropped down a hill to a partially shaded, boggy area and were delighted to find a large wild raspberry patch. For wild raspberries, they were large and abundant. What luck! Our stomachs began to rumble at the sight of the berry patch and plenty of the juicy berries traveled straight into our mouths. Once the hunger pains subsided we came to our senses and began loading up our empty containers for future meals.
There must be raspberries in here somewhere...
There they are!
Continuing on, we carefully picked our way through the thick undergrowth and fallen logs until we came to a large clearing in the forest. I remembered from my permaculture studies that the edges between two ecosystems are often the most productive so was extra vigilant scouting for some source of food in this area.
Half ripened choke cherries in front of a Saskatoon bush.
The first thing I found was a chokecherry bush. Unfortunately, the berries were still under-ripe, leaving them barely edible. Just a bit further on, however, we hit the jackpot when we stumbled onto several Saskatoon bushes. We were able to quickly fill our containers and just in time too as the sun was beginning to set. It was time to head back and see what we could make from our wild harvest.
Aimee picking Saskatoons from a large bush.
What Should we Make?
Thankfully, berries are pretty versatile. On our way back we also spotted an abandoned pack. It was mostly filled with junk but as luck would have it, there was a bag of instant oatmeal in the bottom. It wasn't much but it was more than we'd previously had. With these three main ingredients, and a modest amount of complimentary items that were still available in the spice cabinet, I figured I could make something resembling berry cobbler. Perhaps, this small treat would keep the clan hopeful for a little while longer?
Ingredients:
- 2 cups Wild Saskatoons
- 1 cup Wild Raspberries
- 1 cup Instant Oatmeal
- 2 Tbsps. Coconut Oil
- 2 Tbsps. Honey
- 1/4 Tsp. Cinnamon
Directions:
Put the berries, half the honey, and one quarter of the oats in a pan. Cook on medium-low for approximately 15 minutes. The oatmeal will help to soak up excess moisture from the berries.
While the berries are cooking, prepare the oatmeal topping. Heat a second pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the 1 and 1/2 Tbsps. of coconut oil and the remaining honey and stir until they are well dissolved. Now add the remaining 3/4 cup of oats. Stir vigorously on medium heat until the oats are golden brown and then sprinkle half the cinnamon on top.
At this point you can put the berries into a coconut oil coated baking dish, sprinkle half the cinnamon on top, and then pour the oats on top to create the crumble layer. Bake for 15 minutes at 350°F. However, I think this step might be optional. Since the berries and topping are already cooked this step won't change the texture or flavor much.
Evaluation
This half-assed berry cobbler was surprisingly good. The oats did a good job of soaking up any excess juice from the berries and acting as a thickening agent. The topping has a similar flavor profile to granola but is a bit flakier. Due to the low amount of honey in this cobbler it isn't overly sweet but it still has nice flavor profile and texture.
I think I would rate this cobbler as an 8/10 and would make it again with only a minor tweak or two. It is gluten free and doesn't have the excessive sugar of most desserts so it is a healthier option. A healthier option that would probably go well with ice cream! 😁
