Cabot Cheddar Soda Bread

     I hit the jackpot when I discovered this recipe for Cabot Cheddar Soda Bread on the King Arthur Flour website.  It's one of those made for dutch oven cooking recipes, moist and tangy with a crispy crust only cast iron can deliver.  Try to use an extra sharp Cheddar if you can, that way the flavor will really come through.  In my 10 inch deep dutch oven, the bread baked for a total of 40 minutes with 10 coals around the base of the oven, 16 placed around the edge of the lid with 8 more briquettes spaced evenly in the center.  Once I removed the oven from the coals, I allowed the bread to sit for 5 minutes before carefully turning it out onto a plate.  You can also allow it to cool right in your oven, just wait a good 20-25 minutes before slicing as it will crumble when it's hot. 
    
Cabot Cheddar Soda Bread
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tblsp cold, unsalted butter, cut in small pieces
8 oz sharp Cheddar cheese (2 cups), grated
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 large egg

     Lightly oil or spray 10 inch dutch oven.
     In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
     Add the butter, working it into the flour until the mixture is crumbly.
     Toss in the grated cheese.
     Mix the buttermilk and egg, add to the dry ingredients, stir just until moistened.
     Scoop the sticky dough into prepared dutch oven, using your wet fingers, spread it to the edges of the oven.
     Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
     Allow bread to sit in dutch oven for 5 minutes then using oven mitts, gently turn it out onto a plate to cool.
     Wait at least 20 minutes before slicing, it is crumbly when hot.

Press sticky batter into well oiled 10 inch dutch oven

Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes

Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from oven

Let sit for an additional 20 minutes before slicing

Upside-Down Banana-Walnut French Toast

     I apologize for tempting you with this luscious recipe so soon after making your resolutions to eat healthier in the New Year, but it was so incredibly delicious I just couldn't wait to share it with you.  This French Toast from Betty Crocker is by far, one of the best things I've made in my dutch oven.  They need to invent an Upside-Down Banana-Walnut French Toast candle because the scents and smells lingering in your dutch oven and kitchen will positively delight you.  After assembling the dish, I let it sit for a good hour before lighting the coals.  On a cold and blustery day it baked for a total of 45 minutes with 12 coals in a ring around the base of the oven and 24-26 briquettes spaced evenly on the lid.  Pack a spatula and a big spoon in your chuck box, after you dish it up you won't want to waste a drop of the sugary nuts and topping. 

Upside-Down Banana-Walnut French Toast
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup chopped walnuts OR pecans
3 bananas, sliced
1 loaf (about 1 lb) sliced, unfrosted, firm cinnamon bread
6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
Powdered sugar, if desired

     Lightly oil or spray 12 inch dutch oven, line with parchment paper if desired.
     In large bowl, stir brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and walnuts until smooth.
     Gently stir in bananas.
     Spoon mixture evenly into prepared dutch oven.
     Reserve ends of bread for another use because they don't soak up the egg mixture very well.
     Arrange 2 layers of bread over banana mixture, tearing bread slices to fit if necessary.
     In medium bowl, beat eggs, milk, cinnamon and vanilla with wire whisk until well blended.
     Pour egg mixture over bread.
     Allow to sit in a cool place in dutch oven for 30 minutes to an hour.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
     Serve portions upside down, spooning sauce from bottom of dish over each serving.
     Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
     Makes 6-8 servings.

Spoon banana mixture evenly in bottom of 12 inch dutch oven

Place two layers of bread slices over bananas

Pour egg mixture over bread and allow to sit for
30-60 minutes in a cool place

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until knife '
inserted in center comes out clean

The ultimate French Toast bake and don't forget a big
spoon for the topping

Key Lime Pie Cinnamon Rolls

     In the time it takes you to zest a couple of limes and whack open a tube of Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Rolls you can make these out of this world delicious Key Lime Pie Cinnamon Rolls.  Another convenient recipe, all you have to do is unroll the dough, sprinkle with the filling, reroll and bake.  Also, cutting the rolls with a serrated knife helps to hold them together.  I actually found a bag of key limes in my grocery store but you could substitute regular limes and they would be equally good.  In my 10 inch dutch oven they baked for 20 minutes with 10 coals in a ring around the base of the oven and 22 on the lid.  Make a double batch if you can, these are so tasty everyone will be lined up for seconds.
 
Key Lime Pie Cinnamon Rolls
1 can Pillsbury Grands Flaky Supreme refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing
1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs, separated
1 Tblsp grated Key Lime peel
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 Tblsp Key Lime juice
(Key Limes can be substituted with regular limes)

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven; line with parchment paper.
     Remove dough from can; do not separate dough into rolls. 
     Reserve icing.
     Carefully unroll cinnamon roll dough on waxed paper.
     Sprinkle dough evenly with 1/4 cup of the graham cracker crumbs, lime peel, and white chips; lightly press chips into dough.
     Reroll dough; using serrated knife, separate into 5 rolls.
     Place, cut side up, in prepared dutch oven.
     Bake 17-20 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool 5 minutes.
     Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine reserved icing and lime juice; stir until well blended.
     Drizzle icing over warm rolls.
     Sprinkle tops with remaining graham cracker crumbs.  Serve warm.

Unroll dough from package then sprinkle with
chips, crumbs and zest

Reroll dough, cut into rolls then place in oven

Bake for 17-20 minutes at 350 degrees

Drizzle with lime flavored glaze and devour while warm

     

Bacon Breadstick Foccacia

      Life has been getting in the way of dutch oven cooking lately, family obligations and a camping trip to Acadia National Park have taken me away from my computer and my cookbooks.  Before I left for Maine I was searching for some super easy, few ingredients required, camping recipes.  This Bacon Breadstick Foccacia from Pillsbury requires only an egg, a tube of breadstick dough and a package of precooked bacon.  Similar to the Easy Bacon Cinnamon Rolls, all you have to do is wind the bacon and dough loosely in a spiral and let the coals work their magic.  Pillsbury also recommends using string cheese with pepperoni and garnishing with sliced kalamata olives.  You really don't have to line your oven with parchment paper but I'm all for making life easier in the great outdoors.  Be sure to pinch the edges of the dough together well and the beaten egg helps hold the rings together.  Mine baked for 25 minutes with 12 coals in a ring around the bottom and 28 on the lid.  Crispy, warm and flavored with bacon drippings, eat it as a pull apart bread or cut it into wedges but be sure to give this shortcut foccacia a try.  Spread it with a little peanut butter while it's still warm if you really want to send it over the top. 

Bacon Breadstick Foccacia
1 11 oz. can Pillsbury refrigerated breadsticks (12 breadsticks)
10-12 slices packaged precooked bacon (from 2.1 oz. package)
1 egg, beaten
1 slice packaged precooked bacon, finely chopped
1/2 tsp chopped fresh parsley OR 1/4 tsp dried

     Lightly spray 12 inch dutch oven; line with parchment paper.
     Unroll dough; separate into 12 strips.
     Starting at center of dutch oven, coil bacon slices with dough strips into a loose spiral, pinching ends together securely as strips are added.
     Drizzle or brush beaten egg over dough, using all of egg to fill crevices.
     Sprinkle with chopped bacon and parsley.
     Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until edges are deep golden brown.
     Cut into wedges; serve warm.

Coil breadsticks loosely with bacon

Brush with beaten egg and bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes

So good and made for campfire cooking