For some this dessert is a blast from the past, for others something new. It is a powdered dessert mix. It is designed to be whisked with milk to create a sweet mousse-like dessert. Angel Delight was released in the 1960s by the Birds company (yes, the one that makes custard) and it originally came in strawberries-and-cream flavour, however now you can get it in raspberry, banana, butterscotch, and chocolate as well. It is a dessert that can divide people, however we quite like it, and after a little experimentation we found that we could make it well while out adventuring. The key was to use powdered milk and not worry about putting it in the fridge, as it will set on its own.

Ingredients

To call this a recipe is a bit of a stretch, as it only requires two real ingredients and not a lot of prep, but we know it’s good for something to be easy when you’re tired and hungry after a long day of activities.

Core ingredients

Angel Delight - This is readily available in the UK from all major supermarkets. Often supermarkets will sell the branded “Angel Delight” produced by Birds, as well as their own brand version. We’ve had success with a few own brand ones, so are pretty confident you can use whichever brand you prefer, or can get your hands on.

Powdered Milk - it is possible to get both plant and animal based powdered milks, so take your pick.

Drinking Water - the third ingredient that brings this all together, you are going to need clean water to rehydrate the powdered milk.

Optional Ingredients

Now this is where you can start experimenting with toppings if you wish. The toppings we have found that work well with this dessert:

Fresh fruit foraged from our surroundings; things like raspberries and blackberries.
Sweets such as M&Ms
Shavings of chocolate
Sprinkles of hot chocolate power

Cooking Equipment

This is one that does not take much at all.

Liquid measuring device - We tend to use the scale on the side of our Nalgenes

Whisk - We use a little one from a kids cooking set. You can do it with a spork; it just takes longer and we found it’s easy to miss bits at the bottom.

Bowls - As you pour the mixture into containers to set, we use individual bowls (for fairness).

Method

This method can be summed up as, make milk, follow instructions on packet. It really is THAT simple!

Mix up the required amount of milk from powder.
Follow instructions on your packet of Angel Delight.
Pour into bowls.
Wait a bit (5-ish minutes is usually all we can manage).
Put toppings on if you wish.
Serve and enjoy.

Trail Tips

Make sure to only put in the required amount of liquid that the packet states. If you put too much water in you get a very odd textured slurry. It still tastes nice, but because it doesn’t set it just doesn't feel great in the mouth.

This dessert takes up very little space and can brighten the mood many days into an adventure, which is why we keep taking it!

Angel Delight