Gooey S'mores Bars

     If you have a hankering for the taste of a warm, gooey s'more but are unable to sit around a crackling campfire, this easy bar recipe from Betty Crocker will satisfy your sweet tooth and remind you of the great outdoors.  The recipe recommends wetting the back of a spoon before spreading the layer of marshmallow creme but I found cooking spray to work much better.  In my 12 inch dutch oven, the bars baked for 22 minutes with 12 coals in a ring around the base of the oven, 16 placed around the outside of the lid with 6 briquettes spaced evenly in the center.  Keep an eye on them as the marshmallows can brown quickly.  Allow them sit for 30 minutes before slicing, it goes without saying, gobble them up while they're still warm for that real campfire treat flavor.  

Gooey S'mores Bars
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
1 11.5 oz bag milk chocolate chips (2 cups)
1 7 oz jar marshmallow creme
1 cup miniature marshmallows

     Lightly oil or spray 12 inch dutch oven; line with parchment paper if desired.
     In large bowl, beat sugar, butter, vanilla and egg with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon, until light and fluffy.
     Stir in graham cracker crumbs, flour and salt.
     Reserve 2 cups graham cracker crumb mixture.
     Press remaining mixture in pan for crust.
     Sprinkle chocolate chips over crust; press slightly into crust.
     Drop marshmallow creme by tablespoonfuls over chocolate chips.
     Wet back of large spoon or spray lightly with cooking spray and use to lightly spread marshmallow creme over chips.
     Sprinkle with marshmallows.
     Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture; press lightly.
     Bake for 20-25 minutes or until marshmallows are puffed and light golden brown.
     Cool at least 30 minutes before cutting into bars.

Press crumb mixture into parchment lined oven

Lightly press chocolate chips into crumb layer

Spread marshmallow cream with wet or oiled spoon

Sprinkle with marshmallows then top with remaining
crumb mixture

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes

Decadently delicious warm or at room temperature

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

     Like biting into a crunchy peanut butter and jelly sandwich, these bar cookies from Land O'Lakes are a breeze to make and bake up wonderfully in your dutch oven.  Line your oven with parchment, pat in the bottom layer of dough, spread with jam, crumble on the topping and bake.  In my 12 inch dutch oven, they cooked for 45 minutes with 12 coals in a ring around the base of the oven, 19 placed around the edge of the lid and 8 spaced evenly in the center.  Basically when you can smell the peanut butter coming from your oven and the top is golden brown, they're done.  Let them cool completely before lifting from the oven and cutting into squares.  I'll bet you could even mix the dough at home, spoon it in a zip lock bag and pack it in your cooler.  These PB&J bars will bring you back to your childhood and give you some quick energy and sustenance while you're hiking the trails. 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
1 18.25 oz package yellow cake mix
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 egg
1 1/2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats
1 1/4 cups strawberry OR grape jam
1/2 cups chopped peanuts

     Lightly oil or spray 12 inch dutch oven; line with parchment paper.
     Combine cake mix, butter, peanut butter and egg in large bowl.
     Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until well blended.
     Stir in oats.
     Reserve 2 cups of oat mixture; set aside.
     Press remaining oat mixture evenly into prepared dutch oven.
     Spread jam over oat mixture.
     Crumble reserved oat mixture over jam.
     Top with chopped peanuts.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until top is golden brown and set.
     Cool completely in dutch oven before removing and cutting into bars.


Press dough into parchment lined oven, top with jam then
sprinkle with reserved topping and peanuts

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown

Protein, fiber and not a lot of sugar in these tasty bars

Easy Raspberry Bars

      It's that time of year when I start baking in earnest, making cookies by the dozen and filling my freezer with sugary treats to give to friends and family over the holidays.  I know you can easily bake cookies in your dutch oven, seeing as I am a little on the impatient side and prefer to bake them in large batches, I'll save cookie baking for the campsite with store bought cookie dough.  In the meantime, a good way to utilize your dutch oven is to make bar cookies, you can bake a batch in one fell swoop and I can honestly say they bake as well as they would in your conventional oven.  I have several raspberry bar recipes in my cookie arsenal but this one is so incredibly simple and easy I couldn't pass it up.  It's as good, if not better, than the buttery versions I make from scratch.  Unless you plan on serving them directly from your camp oven, line it with parchment paper, press in the bottom layer, cover with raspberry or whatever flavor jam you like, sprinkle on the topping and bake.  In my 12 inch oven these baked for 25 minutes with 12 coals in a ring around the bottom and 24-26 briquettes on the lid.  Let them cool for a good half hour before removing from your oven and allow them to cool completely before slicing as they're quite crumbly when warm.   Like the elves in Santa's kitchen, fire up your dutch oven and start your holiday baking with these sweet and buttery Easy Raspberry Bars.

Easy Raspberry Bars
1 package (18 oz.) yellow cake mix
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
3/4 cups (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted
1 12 oz. jar raspberry jam
1 Tblsp water

     Lightly oil or spray 12 inch dutch oven; line with parchment paper.
     In large bowl, combine cake mix and oats. 
     Stir in melted butter until mixture is crumbly and well combined.
     Press about two thirds of oat mixture into bottom of dutch oven until evenly covered. 
     Combine jam and water; spoon over crumb mixture, spreading evenly.
     Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over raspberry filling.
     Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until topping is lightly browned and jam is bubbling.
     Cool for 30 minutes before lifting from oven.
     Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Press two thirds of oat mixture evenly in bottom of dutch oven

Spread with raspberry jam then sprinkle with remainder of dough

Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown

Cool completely before cutting into bars

123 Snap Brownies

      The name 123 Snap Brownies, from Eagle Brand, describes this delicious dessert to a T.  No eggs to crack, no measuring cups, just open the boxes and cans, add a splash of vanilla, mix and pour into your dutch oven.  The original recipe calls for 4 cups of graham cracker crumbs, I used one whole 13 1/2 ounce box which is just over 3 1/2 cups.  Of course you can make your own from scratch but I wasn't about to buy another box for a scant 1/2 cup of crumbs.  The original recipe also uses 3 1/2 cups of chocolate chips, I found one 12 ounce bag to be more than enough for a 12 inch dutch oven.  Unless you are going to serve them right from your oven I would highly recommend using parchment paper.  These brownies are so soft and gooey that you'll need to lift them out with the paper and let them cool before serving.  Even though they form a crust while baking be sure to cook them the full 25-30 minutes.  In my 12 inch oven, I used 12 coals in a circle around the base of the oven and 22-24 on the lid.  This foolproof recipe has been around for years, it's easy to see why it is still a favorite, with a bowl, a spoon and a dutch oven you can't go wrong with these sweet brownies.

123 Snap Brownies
4 cups or 1 13 oz. package graham cracker crumbs
2 (14 oz.) cans sweetened condensed milk
1 12 oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract

     Lightly oil or spray 12 inch dutch oven; line with parchment paper.
     Combine graham cracker crumbs, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, butter and vanilla in large bowl.  Mix until blended. 
     Spread evenly in prepared dutch oven.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
     Cool in dutch oven for 15 minutes before lifting out using parchment paper.
     Cool completely before cutting into bars. 

Spread sticky batter evenly in your parchment lined oven

Bake for a full 25-30 minutes

Get ready to lick the chocolate off your fingers

Cowboy Oatmeal Bars

      I'd like to think these Cowboy Oatmeal Bars from Land O'Lakes are actually good for you, loaded with oatmeal, walnuts and chocolate, they'll definitely help fuel you for a long trail ride or hike in the woods.  Easy enough to make, mix all the ingredients together in one bowl then press into the bottom of your dutch oven.  The original recipe calls for baking them in a 15 by 10 inch pan so you could probably make them in a 14 inch dutch oven.  I used my 12 inch oven, with 12 coals in a ring around the bottom and 24 on the lid, they were golden brown in 20 minutes.  Cool them completely before lifting out with the parchment paper and cutting into squares.  I didn't have any peanut butter chips so used 2 cups of chocolate chips instead, they were soft, chewy and brimming with chocolate, you won't be disappointed with these dynamite bars.

Cowboy Oatmeal Bars
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup milk OR real semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven; line with parchment paper.
     Combine butter, brown sugar and sugar in large bowl.  Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy.
     Add eggs and vanilla; continue beating until well mixed.
     Reduce speed to low; add flour, baking soda and salt.  Beat until well mixed.
     Add oats; mix well.  Stir in peanut butter chips, chocolate chips and walnuts.
     Press dough evenly into prepared dutch oven.
     Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. 
     Cool in dutch oven.  Remove using parchment paper and cut into bars.

Press batter into bottom of dutch oven

Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees

Crisp on the outside and gooey on the inside, yum