Cooking on an Almond

Looking for a fun, hands-on cooking activity that Scouts can do indoors? Try cooking with burning almonds! This miniaturised cooking method is a great way to show how much heat can come from an unexpected source—perfect for a Troop night where all Patrols can get involved at the same time.

How It Works

Almonds have a high oil content, which means they burn with a strong flame and produce a surprising amount of heat. By using a simple DIY frying pan made from wire and aluminium foil, you can cook small pieces of food using just a single almond as fuel.

What You’ll Need

• Wire (1 mm tying wire, gauge 19) – Cut into 65 cm and 20 cm lengths
• Aluminium foil – 12 cm squares for pans
• Cooking fat
• Almonds – About four per person
• Bacon or thin sausages
• Matches and candles
• Pliers (for cutting wire)
• Disposable cups (for damper mix, optional)

Making Your Mini Frying Pan

1. Take a 65 cm piece of wire and shape a circle about 10 cm in diameter in the middle.
2. Twist the two ends together to form a handle roughly 15 cm long.
3. Cover the circular part as tightly as possible with a 12 cm square of aluminium foil.

Preparing Your Cooking Setup

1. Impale an almond on a 20 cm piece of wire.
2. Light it using a candle (matches aren’t quite strong enough).
3. Position your frying pan over the burning almond.
4. Add a small piece of cooking fat to the pan before adding food.

Cooking Your Food

• Bacon – Cooks in about 2.5 minutes, the lifespan of a single almond.
• Sausages – May need a second almond to finish cooking.
• Damper (optional) – A small, 4 cm dough ball made from self-raising flour and milk. Cooks in about 2 minutes per side.

Cooking Tips

• Work in pairs: one Scout can hold and move the flaming almond while the other handles the frying pan.
• If needed, place the pan on the edge of a table or box, securing the handle with a heavy object like a book.
• Use extra 20 cm wire lengths to create simple two-pronged forks for turning and eating food.

Safety & Clean-Up

• Burnt almonds should be disposed of in a designated container.
• The flame creates a lot of soot—don’t cook food directly in it.
• If the foil gets punctured, replace it before continuing.

Adding a Competitive Element

Want to turn this into a challenge? Have leaders judge each Patrol’s best bacon and sausage on a scale of 1 to 5. Bonus points can be awarded for neatness and effective clean-up!

Prepping in Advance

To keep things running smoothly, have these items ready before you start:

• Pre-cut wire lengths
• Pre-cut aluminium foil squares
• Food portions wrapped in foil
• Extra almonds in case of mishaps (a 60g packet contains about 50 almonds)

This activity is a great way to demonstrate how a small heat source can be used efficiently while making some tasty treats. Give it a go and see who can master the art of almond-powered cooking!