Summer Grilling Series

Desserts from the Grill

NOT FOUND: summer grillling.jpgFrom flipping burgers and grilling hot dogs to marinating steaks and chops or even smoking a brisket, the BBQ grill should always be in use. It doesn’t matter if the grill is charcoal or gas as long as the food is good. But what about dessert? Desserts can be just as tasty as the rest of the meal on the grill in just a few minutes. When preparing dessert on the grill, be aware that slow burn is more effective than the flash and heat of leaping flames. If you're not careful, food that contains sugars can burn quickly when grilling. If using a charcoal grill (or hardwood), the heat from coals still glowing after you've cooked your main course should be about right. And if you're using a gas grill, you'll want to use your grill's setting and spot for indirect heat. On many gas grills, this means preheating the grill using the high-heat setting, then reducing it to low once it's hot and placing food to be grilled to one side, not directly over the burner.

Combinations of fresh fruits, breads and cakes make delightful desserts with a scoop of your preferred ice cream on top. Some ideas of fresh fruit for grilling are bananas, strawberries, peaches, pears and pineapple slices. Strawberries and small pieces of fruit can be folded in aluminum foil so that they don’t fall through the rack. Grilling extracts the natural sugars by caramelizing the outside. The sugars melt and become a brown, sweet syrup. Grilling breads such as cinnamon toast and pound cake on the grill can result in a tasty surprise.

Just a few rules prior to starting dessert on the grill.

1. Clean and oil your grill's surface prior to putting dessert on. You don’t want your dessert to taste like your steak and onion kabob.
2. Prepare your dessert early so that you are free to do other things. Fruits can soak in the refrigerator for several hours prior to grilling.
3. Cooking times for desserts are usually very fast so stay near the grill during the cooking process.

Let’s take a look at a couple of styles of BBQ desserts.

Grilled Fruit

Serves 6

2 ripe bananas

2 ripe peaches

1-pound container of strawberries

1 stick of butter

Tablespoon of sugar

Peel the bananas. Rinse the peaches and strawberries; pat dry. Slice the peaches into quarters (make sure they are big enough to put straight on the grill). Cut off tops of the strawberries.

Place the strawberries on aluminum foil. Sprinkle with sugar and wrap. Put some butter on each banana and on each peach slice.

Place all of the fruit on the grill. Monitor the fire. If the flames get too high, place cover on the grill. Cook until there are visible grill marks or black crisps. Depending on the heat, do not cook longer than 15 minutes.

Bananas take the least amount of time and are usually done in about 10 minutes. Strawberries take the longest. Remove fruit as soon as it's done. Cover until ready to serve.

Grilled Pineapple Pound Cake a la Mode

Serves: 6

1 can (20 ounces) sliced pineapple
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 slices pound cake
Vanilla ice cream
Caramel ice cream topping

What to Do
1. Drain pineapple, reserving 1/3 cup juice and six pineapple rings (save remaining juice and pineapple for another use).

2. In a microwave-safe dish, combine, butter, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and reserved pineapple juice.

3. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 1 to 2 minutes or until bubbly. Brush half of the mixture on both sides of pineapple rings and cake slices.

4. On an uncovered grill over medium heat, cook pineapple and cake for 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown, brushing occasionally with remaining pineapple juice mixture.

5. Top each slice of cake with a pineapple ring and a scoop of ice cream; drizzle with caramel topping. Serve immediately.

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