Overheard: “This is a game changer. Womp ‘Ems are a camping game changer.”
There’s an exciting way to mix up your campfire routine, and we at Spinning Cook are amazed how few people know about it, and how wild they feel about it after their first experience.
A finished Womp ‘Em with cherry pie filling.
The concept of cooking biscuits over the campfire has been around for ages, whether in a pan, using a reflective oven, or twisted around a skewer or stick. Womp ‘Ems take this to the next level by evenly toasting a biscuit which is shaped around a 1-1/4 inch dowel, then adding sweet or savory fillings. The sticks are quite easy to make at home, with instructions below! Womp ‘Ems are especially fun at multi-family camping trips, and may become a summer tradition as they certainly have for us.
To make Womp ‘Ems you’ll need a fire, a stick, uncooked biscuit dough, and fillings of your choice.
Start by placing a biscuit on the wide dowel end of the stick.
Squeeze (don’t stretch) the biscuit to cover much of the wide dowel, at an even thickness.
| Making Womp 'Ems (Ultimate Campfire Biscuits) | Print |
- One campfire which has died down to hot coals, allowing for easy roasting
- One or more Womp 'Em sticks (as many as four can be used around a single campfire)
- One roll of 8 uncooked biscuits (Pillsbury Grands Buttermilk Biscuits or Annie's Organic Flaky Biscuits)
- Sweet or savory fillings (our favorites are various pie fillings with whipped cream as a dessert, or scrambled eggs with cheese and bacon/ham/sausage as breakfast)
- Place one uncooked biscuit on the wide end of the Womp 'Em stick. With clean hands or wearing kitchen gloves, press the biscuit into end of the stick, and then gradually squeeze it down the length of the wide stick. Squeezing tends to work better than pulling or stretching, and the end result should be an even thickness of dough extending most of the length of the wide dowel portion, about 4 inches of biscuit.
- Hold the stick out over the fire, rotating the biscuit regularly at a safe distance from the coals until it turns golden brown and is no longer gooey inside and out.
- When you think it's finished cooking, use a hot pad to gently grab the biscuit, and gently try pulling it off of the stick. If gooey biscuit dough still clings to the stick then put it back in place and continue roasting until it slides off cleanly.
- Allow the cooked biscuit to cool at least partially before eating. Once cool, invert it so the hole is facing up, and add fillings in layers according to your taste. Enjoy!
How to make Womp ‘Em Sticks (makes eight)
- Cut the wide dowel into 6-inch sections. Sand each piece lightly to remove any sharp edges or rough spots, with the coarse 60-grit paper and then the 100-grit.
- Carefully drill into one end of each section of wide dowel, drilling to a depth of 1-1/2 inches. Add a pea-sized amount of wood glue, and insert the 3/8 inch dowel, turning to cover the surface and wiping off any excess. Now wipe the stick clean with a damp cloth to remove any sawdust, and allow the glue to dry fully.
- Before first use, treat the wide dowel end with some cooking spray (Pam) or vegetable oil on a paper towel.
Have you tried Womp ‘Ems, and why do you think they’re so popular? Have a great summer, everyone!
