Create Your Own Cave Confections

Create Your Own Cave Confections

Posted on Friday, May 1, 2020, by Hubert Heck

Create your own cave treats following these simple recipes. Caves provide habitats for unique species. Make your own edible cave habitats in the form of hollow meringue cookies or dessert rolls.

Bake your own cave habitats!

Create hollow meringue cookies and cavernous dessert rolls following the recipes below

cavernous meringue cookies

Cavernous Cookies

Make your own cave habitat in the form of a hollow meringue cookie

Ingredients

  • ½ cup chopped pecans
  • ½ cup chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 pinch of salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 300 degrees F
  • Place 1 teaspoon of vinegar into a mixing bowl
  • Add egg whites, pinch of salt and sugar to bowl
  • Beat the mixture on high for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks form
  • Fold in chopped pecans and chocolate chips
  • Spoon onto a baking sheet with parchment paper
  • Place cookies into the oven and then turn the oven off
  • Leave cookies in the oven for 6-8 hours, then enjoy
make your own cave cookies recipe steps

Bake a cave habitat inside a dessert roll with this simple recipe

dessert cave crescent rolls

Cave Crescent Rolls

Create a fun dessert roll with a hollow center

Ingredients

  • 8 large marshmallows
  • ¼ cup melted butter
  • ⅛ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 8-oz can crescent roll dough

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  • Mix cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl
  • Unroll crescent roll dough
  • Roll marshmallows in melted butter, and then in the cinnamon-sugar mixture
  • Place coated marshmallow onto an unrolled crescent roll
  • Roll the coated marshmallow up in the crescent roll, completely covering the sides by pinching the seams of the dough together
  • Place rolls onto a baking sheet with parchment paper
  • Bake for about 12 minutes
  • Brush rolls with remaining melted butter and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture
make your own dessert cave crescent rolls recipe directions

What are habitats?

Both the physical and biological features of areas characterize habitats. Physical characteristics of an area can include things like intensity (or absence) of light, humidity, soil, and temperature. Biological characteristics of an area can include things like the presence (or absence) of predators and the availability of food.

Habitat - a type of environment where an organism lives. A habitat is an area where an organism can find food, shelter, protection, and opportunity for reproduction.

The Karst topography of the Ozarks

Karst habitat is composed of soluble rock with lots of springs, caves, underground streams and sinkholes. Cave habitats are relatively isolated, devoid of light and offer limited food sources, but caves can offer constant year-round temperature and protection. Similar cave environments may not neccessarily provide habitat for similar species. There are many cave animals that are unique to a particular cave system or region.

The Ecological Niches of Cave life

Caves are pretty much isolated from the outside. They make great shelters because of this, and offer additional protection to cave inhabitants. But food and light can be extremely scarce inside caves. Even so, a variety of species live in the lightless passages of cave systems. Some animals wander into caves accidentally; others come and go from caves regularly; then other organisms simply prefer caves over other habitats; while some species have lived for generations within a cave system, never leaving. Animals found in the deepest, darkest depths of a cave rely heavily on outside forces to bring nutrients into the cave for them to eat. The activity of animals that come and go from the cave, such as bats, can provide nutrient sources for the cave life that never leaves their subterranean world. Water that infiltrates into the ground also washes nutrients into caves. Nutrients that provide the foundation of the food web for cave life.

Habitat Change

Caves are sensitive to pollution. Activities on the surface can easily affect cave ecosystems below. When caves become threatened, it is usually due to surface activity. If you live in the Ozarks, your activities can have a direct impact on cave species and water quality.

To protect caves, cave life, and water quality, it requires us to be diligent in how we manage and use our land and our resources.

Latest Blog Posts

The latest about our Missouri cave, and other Fantastic Caverns news.

Ozarks Cave Explorer's Club
Travel and tourism are inextricably part of the fabric of the Ozarks’ culture and economy. And caves have been a part of the tourism industry in the Ozarks for a very long time. Find a list of caves in Missouri and Arkansas participating in the Missouri Caves Association’s Ozarks Cave Explorer Passport Program.
Discovered by a Dog
Fantastic Caverns is pet friendly. Fantastic Caverns was discovered by an Ozarks farmer, or more precisely, by his dog. While tracking an animal, the famer's bloodhound disappeared into a small hole at the base of a bluff.
Build Your Own Terrarium and Monitor Water Quality
Stormwater run-off can easily pick up pollutants and cause erosion. Plants and trees help filter stormwater run-off and prevent erosion. The water flowing through the lower levels of Fantastic Caverns, began as stormwater on the surface. Create your own terrariums and monitor water quality.
Cave and Karst Picture Finds
Find cave animals in these photos. The karst terrain of the Ozarks provides habitat for unique life. There is a very delicate ecosystem beneath our feet.
Create Your Own Aquifer in a Cup
Create your own miniature aquifer in a cup. The limestone present in the Ozarks has cracks and voids that allow water to permeate and pass through it. Water flowing through the limestone passages of Fantastic Caverns, began as rainwater.
Create Your Own Crystals
You can easily grow your own crystals using sugar, salt or alum. Many crystals are minerals, and occur naturally. Minerals are the building blocks of rocks, like the limestone of Fantastic Caverns.
Cave and Karst Word Searches
Find words related to caves and cave life in these fun Cave and Karst Word Searches. Missouri is known as the Cave State, boasting more than 7,500 caves and counting.
Make Your Own Limestone Fossil Sugar Cookies
You can find fossilized remains of ancient creatures within the limestone of Fantastic Caverns. Create your own limestone-inspired fossils in the form of sugar cookies.
Create Your Own Cave in a Cup
Create your own cave. As water flows beneath the Earth's surface it dissolves and erodes the rock, forming the cavities that become caves.
Health and Safety at Fantastic Caverns
The health and safety of our guests are top of mind as we continue to offer our memorable ride through cave experiences. We have increased the frequency of our everyday health and safety protocols and procedures, and we are taking precautions to keep everyone safe and healthy.
The underground fleet
Climb aboard the underground fleet at Fantastic Caverns and explore the world beneath your feet. Touring Fantastic Caverns by Jeep drawn trams helps preserve the cave. America's Ride Thru Cave may not be inhabited by humans but the cave system does have a thriving ecology of small critters that call it home.
America's ride thru cave
Missouri caves are well known as the most beautiful caves to see in North America and Fantastic Caverns ranks #1 by many. It's America's favorite ride-through cave attraction and uses their signature red Jeeps to drive you around through the cave.
Phone: 417-833-2010
Fax: (417) 833-2042
Fantastic Caverns
4872 N Farm Rd 125
Springfield, MO 65803
Trip Adviser certificate of excellence for Fantastic Caverns