There is nothing quite like cooking on a grill. The ripping hot surface, the smoke and smells wafting off the food, the super quick cooking times, and the flavour they instil on whatever is cooking on them make BBQ’s a thing of beauty. When it comes to what to cook on a BBQ, some of the first dishes that might come to mind are of the savoury variety. Steaks, sausages, grilled corn, chicken, skewers, eggplant, shrimp, veggies… the list goes on. But you might be missing out on half the fun.
Outdoor BBQs can also cook and grill an amazing variety of desserts and other sweet treats, perfect for any sweet-tooth, or post-steak sugar craving. From cobblers, to dessert pizzas, grills and BBQs can be used to create some truly mouth-watering dishes that will be sure to wow friends and family. Finding new and exciting dishes to try can turn a regular BBQ into an absolute feast.
Here are just a few great dessert ideas that you can try out on your BBQ.
1. Grilled Bananas Boats
The campfire classic of stuffed grilled bananas can be made in a flash, and can be cooked in their own skin. To make these, make a small cut lengthways into the banana, making sure not to cut all the way through. Then, open up the sliced pocket and stuff with a 2-3 squares of chocolate, and 2-3 marshmallows. Simply place the whole thing on the grill cut side up and let it cook in the skin for 5-10 minutes or until the banana is soft. Alternatively, you can wrap the banana in tin-foil to keep it clean and tidy. Try adding peanut butter, berries or caramel to take this classic dessert to the next level.
2. Dessert Pizza
Dessert pizzas are a great summer time treat, perfect for when you have left over pizza dough. Having a BBQ with a hood and a large cooking surface with multiple burners is essential for this recipe.
To make, first preheat grill to 230°C. In a small bowl, beat 50gms of cream cheese until smooth. Add 25 gms of crème fraîche, 3 tablespoons of honey, a ¼ teaspoon of orange zest, a tablespoon of orange juice, and a pinch of cinnamon, beating until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Next, stretch or roll store bought pizza dough to a 30cm circle. Brush the hot grill with oil. Put garlic. Close the lid and cook until crispy and cooked, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove from grill and set aside.
Place the halves of one peach, cut sides down, on grill. Close the lid and cook until soft and the marks on the grill appear, 2-3 minutes. Cut into pieces.
To assemble: Spread crème fraîche mixture onto warm crust. Top with peach slices, blackberries, and raspberries, torn mint, and drizzle with honey, if desired.
Cut into slices and serve immediately.
3. Roasted fruits
This one is by far the easiest and the versatile recipe, but works best with stone fruits such as peaches, apricots and plums. It can work on any portable BBQ, or if you are cooking for a crowd, a 2 burner BBQ or even a 4 burner BBQ will work perfectly. Preheat BBQ to medium/high heat, then simply half the fruit, take out the stone and place cut side down onto the grill. Let sit undisturbed for a 2 to 3 minutes or when they are slightly charred on the cut side. Serve with ice-cream and enjoy!
4. Strawberry and Marshmallow Skewers.
Another quick and easy crowd pleaser, and what’s great about this one is it can be adapted easily and the possibilities are endless. To make, thread 4 long metal skewers (wooden skewers work well too, just soak them in cool water for 5 minutes before use so they do not burn) with 5 marshmallows and 4 hulled strawberries each. Carefully hold over a gas stove or simply place the whole thing onto the grill, turning slowly, until the marshmallows are toasted. To serve, stir a pinch of salt into caramel (one tin of Nestlé Carnation Caramel works perfectly) and drizzle over the top. Sprinkle with chopped nuts such as hazelnuts, peanuts or biscuits, if you like. Allow the skewer to cool for a minute or so before eating. This recipe works best on a 2 or 4 burner BBQ, where there are a number of cooking elements and plenty of space to really load up the skewers.
These recipes work great on any kind of BBQ, however it is important to have one that performs well every time and is large enough to cater to your needs. Being able to cook these deserts all in one go is the key to seamless dinner parties or just great camp dinners. 2 burner BBQs are great for small families, whereas 4 burner BBQ’s are perfect for larger families or pleasing a crowd. Additionally, have a BBQ with a hood allows you to bake food as well as grill.
It is always important to be cooking on the right equipment, whether it’s when you’re out camping, or hosting a good old-fashioned BBQ in the backyard. Gasmate have an excellent range of light, portable camping stoves all the way up to large outdoor kitchens and everything in between. Their commitment to quality improvement, both technical innovations and criteria, provide a variety of grills to turn any outdoor area into a desired entertainment area.
