Cranberry-Pear Cobbler

     Adapted from a Gooseberry Patch recipe, this cobbler is the perfect way to end your Thanksgiving dinner.  The pears and applesauce combine with the tapioca to produce a thickened, sweet layer of fruit and the topping of buttery biscuits melts in your mouth.  I could not find the smaller cans of pears so substituted with the larger 29 ounce size and only added half the liquid.  The original recipe calls for the syrup from both cans but it seemed a bit watery to me so I scaled it back.  The secret to any biscuit topped recipe is to have the bottom layer hot and bubbling before you add the biscuits.  The fruit also needs to cook long enough for the tapioca to work it's magic and thicken the sauce.  In my 10 inch deep oven, the cobbler baked for 25 minutes with 10 coals in a ring around the bottom and 22 briquettes on the lid.  Once the fruit was thick and bubbling I added the topping, in 12 minutes the biscuits were golden brown and ready to serve.  This needs to be eaten while it's still warm and the biscuits are fluffy and soft so be sure to save some room for a big helping of cobbler.  Have a safe, blessed and very Happy Thanksgiving! 

Cranberry Pear Cobbler
2 15 1/4 oz cans sliced pears in syrup
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1 cup applesauce
1/4 c. instant tapioca, uncooked
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon, divided
1 cup sugar
1 12 oz tube refrigerated Grands Jr buttermilk biscuits
1/4 cup butter, melted

     Lightly oil or spray 10 inch dutch oven.
     Pour pears with juice from only one can into prepared dutch oven.
     Sprinkle with cranberries and tapioca; set aside.
     Combine applesauce with nutmeg and one tsp cinnamon, mix well.
     Spoon applesauce over pears and cranberries.
     Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbling.
     In a shallow dish combine sugar and remaining cinnamon; mix well.
     Separate biscuits.
     Dip each biscuit in butter, then in cinnamon-sugar to coat both sides.
     Arrange biscuits over hot fruit mixture.
     Continue baking for 10-15 minutes or until biscuits are golden.
     Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
     Serve warm; top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
     Makes 6 servings.

Spoon applesauce over pears, cranberries and tapioca

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until hot and
bubbling before adding sugar-coated biscuits

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown

Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving

Tanyard Farm Buttermilk Cake

     Other than the fact my mouth was watering when I read this recipe, what really drew me to it is the fact that you can mix all the cake ingredients in one bowl, a huge plus when you're baking outdoors.  Posted on the King Arthur Flour website, the recipe comes courtesy of a farm in West Hartford, VT.  The batter comes together as easily as a cake mix, you do need to melt the butter for the topping but other than that it's extremely easy to make.
     In my 12 inch dutch oven, the cake baked for a total of 45 minutes.  I started out with 12 coals around the base of the oven, 17 in a ring around the outside of the lid and 10 spaced evenly in the center.  After 20 minutes I rotated the lid and moved the center top coals to the outside of the lid as the cake was starting to brown in the center.  After a total of 35 minutes a tester came out clean in the center of the cake and I proceeded to add the topping.  After 10 more minutes the cake was done.  It is important to bake the cake completely before adding the warm topping otherwise it will sink in the center.  I allowed the cake to cool for a good hour before lifting it out of the oven however if you like it on the gooey side, serve it warm right from your oven. 

Tanyard Farm Buttermilk Cake
Cake
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter at room temperature
2 cups light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
Topping
6 Tblsp butter, melted
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/8 tsp salt
2/3 to 1 cup chopped pecans

     Lightly oil or spray 12 inch dutch oven; line with parchment paper.
     In large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar together until smooth.
     Add the eggs, beating until smooth.
     Stir in the buttermilk and vanilla extract.
     Add the baking soda, salt and flour to the wet ingredients, beating until thoroughly combined.
     Pour the batter into prepared dutch oven.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until tester comes out clean.
     Towards the end of the baking time, prepare the topping.
     Stir the melted butter and sugar together.
     Add the milk, pecans and salt; the glaze will be thick but pourable.
     Spoon the topping over the cake, completely covering cake.
     Return lid to dutch oven and continue to bake for 10 minutes.
     Allow cake to cool for one hour before lifting from oven.
     The topping will look very runny.
     You can eat the cake hot, with the glaze still gooey or let the cake sit at room temperature for a few hours, at which time the glaze will have set.

Pour batter into parchment lined oven

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until tester comes out clean

Spoon warm topping onto cake and continue baking
for 10 minutes

Allow cake to cool for one hour before lifting from oven

A definite died and gone to heaven coffee cake

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Oreo Brownies

     Let's give three cheers for the ingenious blogger who created this mouth-watering recipe.  Call them a Turducken for brownie lovers, Oreo cookies are baked between layers of chocolate chip cookie dough and brownie batter.  I first attempted this recipe in my 12 inch dutch oven with a 30 oz. tube of refrigerated cookie dough and a family sized, 9 by 13 inch pan package of brownie mix.  Well, I baked them for almost an hour, they looked perfectly done but when I cut into them the brownie batter was almost raw in the middle. 
     Determined to make this work, I tried it again in my 10 inch oven, this time using a 16 oz. package of refrigerated Toll House cookie dough and a smaller box of brownie mix.  I used Ghirardelli's Double Chocolate Brownie Mix, not only because it is laced with chocolate chips, it uses less oil.  In my 10 inch oven I placed 10 coals in a ring around the bottom, 16 in a circle around the edge of the lid and 5 spaced evenly in the center.  After 50 minutes, I finally took a peek and this time used a tester to make sure they were done enough in the middle.  It takes restraint, but you need to let them cool for a good 15 minutes before cutting into them.  It goes without saying, they are over the moon delicious. 
     If you want to make them with the larger size packages in your 12 inch oven, be sure to bake them for over an hour with enough heat in the center of the lid to cook them all the way through in the middle.  After wolfing down two of them, warm with ice cream and caramel sauce, I promptly packed up the rest and delivered them to my neighbors.  The only thing I can't resist is temptation and these are so good I couldn't keep them in the house without eating the whole batch.  Kids will love making these, they're an assemble on your picnic table kind of recipe and don't forget to pack a gallon of milk in your cooler to wash them down with.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Oreo Brownies
1 16 oz. package refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough, at room temperature
1 box of brownie mix plus ingredients needed to make brownies.
14 Oreo cookies

     Lightly oil or spray 10 inch dutch oven; line with parchment paper.
     Pat cookie dough into bottom of dutch oven.
     Evenly space Oreo cookies in circles to completely cover dough, but not touching.
     Make brownie mix according to package directions.
     Carefully pour brownie batter over cookies until completely covered.
     Bake for 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees or until brownies test done in center.
     Cool completely before lifting from oven and cutting into squares or let cool for 15 minutes before serving warm from oven.

Press cookie dough into parchment lined oven

Cover with layer of Oreo cookies

Carefully pour brownie batter over cookies

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until done in center

Unquestionably, the ultimate dutch oven brownie

Chocolate Raspberry Cobbler

     The only flavor combination I like better than chocolate and raspberry is white chocolate and raspberry.  To round out our trilogy of ridiculously easy recipes, this Chocolate Raspberry Cobbler is not only scrumptious, you can just about make it with your eyes closed.  I did have to hunt around for raspberry pie filling so if you can't find it, try it with a can of cherry filling.  Just be sure that you completely cover the cookie mix with butter, you don't want any large patches of dry batter showing through.  In my 10 inch oven, it baked for 30 minutes with 18-20 briquettes on the lid and 10 in a ring around the bottom.  When you are bowled over by the scented steam of chocolate and raspberry, it's done.  To make this in your 12 inch oven just add a second can of pie filling and leave the rest.  Next time, I might try mixing in some fresh raspberries with the pie filling.   Crispy on the top, gooey on the inside and sweet enough to make your teeth hurt, topped with vanilla ice cream, this is easily one of my favorite dutch oven desserts.

Chocolate Raspberry Cobbler
1 21 oz can raspberry pie filling
1 1 lb 1.5 oz pouch Betty Crocker double chocolate chunk cookie mix
3/4 cup butter OR margarine, melted

     Lightly oil or spray 10 inch dutch oven, line with parchment paper if desired.
     Spread pie filling in bottom of dutch oven.
     Sprinkle cookie mix evenly over pie filling.
     Pour melted butter evenly over cookie mix.
     Spoon or spread melted butter over cookie mix just to cover the dry mix. 
     Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until topping is set.
     Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
     Store covered in refrigerator, if there's any left!

Pour melted butter over dry cookie mix and raspberry pie filling

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees

You'd better go to confession after eating this sinfully rich dessert

Cookie Fruit Cobbler

     Here's another three ingredient camping recipe from Nestle's that was incredibly easy to make and amazingly good.  All you need is a can opener and a mixing bowl to make this chocolaty, crumbly cobbler.  I baked it in my 10 inch dutch oven with 10 coals in a ring around the bottom, 12 briquettes in a ring around outside of the lid and 6 in the center.  In 25 minutes it was brown and bubbling.  This would bake equally well in your 12 inch oven.  Also, if you can't find Nestle's, any prepackaged, refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough will do the trick.  Choose your favorite pie filling and get ready for a warm, filling dessert to enjoy around your crackling campfire.

Cookie Fruit Cobbler
2 21 oz. cans cherry, peach, blueberry or apple pie filling
1 16.5 oz. package Nestle Toll House Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar Dough
1 cup quick OR old fashioned oats

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven; line with parchment paper if desired.
     Spoon pie filling evenly into prepared dutch oven.
     Crumble cookie dough into medium bowl.  Add oats; mix well.
     Sprinkle dough over filling.
     Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until top is deep golden brown.
     Serve warm or at room temperature.

Combine oatmeal and cookie dough with your fingers and
sprinkle over filling

Bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees or until topping is golden brown

Like a giant, warm, Toll House oatmeal cookie on
sweet cherry pie filling

Rosy Peach Upside Down Cake

      It's been a while since I've baked a cake in my dutch oven, would like to blame it on the rainy, windy weather we've been having but honestly the last couple of cakes I've baked were complete disasters.  My faith in my baking abilities was restored today with this beautiful, brilliant colored Rosy Peach Upside Down Cake.  This cake is topped with sweet Jello and peaches and the cake is swirled with the Peach Melba flavored batter.  It is very light and if you chill it after baking, would be positively refreshing on a hot summer's day.  I had to shop around for the Peach Jello but other than that it's a snap to make and could even be baked at your campsite.  In my 12 inch dutch oven it baked with 12 coals in a ring around the base of the oven and about 28 briquettes on the lid.  After 15 minutes I removed some of the center coals to keep the cake from browning too quickly.  Be sure to use a cake tester or bamboo skewer to insure that it's cooked all the way through.  Let it sit for a good 20-25 minutes before lifting out and inverting onto a platter.  It's such a pretty cake and the combination of flavors is delightfully delicious.

Rosy Peach Upside Down Cake
1 29 oz. can sliced peaches, drained
1 3 oz. package strawberry gelatin
1 3 oz. package peach gelatin
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup butter or margarine cut into small pieces
1 18.25 oz. box yellow cake mix plus ingredients needed to bake cake
Whipped cream for topping

     Lightly oil or spray 12 inch dutch oven; line with parchment paper.
     Arrange peaches in single layer in prepared oven.
     Combine strawberry and peach gelatins and cinnamon in small bowl.
     Sprinkle 3/4 of mixture evenly over peaches; dot with butter.
     Prepare cake mix as directed on package.
     Pour 3/4 of batter into pan.
     Stir remaining gelatin mixture into remaining cake mix.
     Blend well and pour into dutch oven.
     Using a spatula or knife, gently zigzag through batter to marble.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
     Cool for 20-25 minutes before lifting out and inverting onto platter.
     Cool completely and garnish with whipped cream before serving.

Sprinkle peach slices with gelatin mixture then dot with butter

Cover peaches with batter then gently swirl together with spatula

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes

Cool for 25 minutes before lifting out and inverting onto platter

So colorful and delicious too

Bailey's Irish Cream Cake

May you always have...
Walls for the winds
A roof for the rain
Tea beside the fire
Laughter to cheer you
Those you love near you
And all your heart might desire

      In honor of St. Patrick's Day I decided to try this Bailey's Irish Cream Cake from Food.com.  It is fairly simple to make from scratch and bakes into a deep, dark, chocolaty cake.  In my 12 inch dutch oven, it baked for 35 minutes with 12 coals in a ring around the bottom and 20-22 on the lid.  After 15 minutes I moved several coals from the center of the lid to a ring around the outside.  I was in a bit of a hurry so used canned vanilla frosting instead of the one that is given with the recipe and it took almost two cans to completely cover the cake.  I'm sure this whipped cream version is light and delicious and would be a good contrast to the dense, moist cake. Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with this rich dessert and as the Irish would say, "If you're lucky enough to be Irish, then you're lucky enough.".
    
Bailey's Irish Cream Cake
2 cups flour
1 3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tblsp baking soda
1 egg
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup (1 miniature bottle) Bailey's Irish Cream
1 cup strong black coffee
Frosting
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 to 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup Bailey's Irish Cream or more to taste

     Lightly oil or spray 12 inch dutch oven; line with parchment paper.
     Sift dry ingredients together in large mixing bowl.
     In medium bowl whisk together egg, oil, buttermilk, Irish Cream and coffee.
     Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients; beat for 3 minutes or until well combined.
     Pour into prepared dutch oven.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until tester comes out clean.
     Let cake cool in dutch oven for 15 minutes before removing.
     Allow cake to cool completely before frosting.
     Beat frosting ingredients together with mixer until stiff.
     After frosting cake garnish with chocolate curls if desired.

Pour thin batter into parchment lined 12 inch dutch oven

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until tester comes out clean

Finish with your favorite frosting



Easy Apple Cobbler Pizza

     Halfway between a pie and a crisp, this Easy Apple Cobbler Pizza from Comstock is a cinch to make in your dutch oven and will satisfy your craving for a homemade apple pie.  All you have to do is unroll a store bought pie crust in your parchment lined oven, spoon on the apple filling and sprinkle with the buttery topping.  Mine took a full half hour to bake in my 12 inch oven with 12 coals in a circle around the base of the oven and 24-26 briquettes on the lid.  If you want to slice it into nicely shaped wedges let it cool in your dutch oven before removing, otherwise dig in while it's hot and scoop it into a bowl with your favorite vanilla ice cream.

Easy Apple Cobbler Pizza
1 9-inch refrigerated prepared pie crust
1 21 oz. can apple pie filling or topping
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

     Lightly oil or spray a 12 inch or larger dutch oven; line with parchment paper.
     Unfold pie crust and place in bottom of oven.
     Spread apple filling evenly over pie crust to within 1 inch of edge.
     In small mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon.
     Crumble flour mixture evenly over apple filling.
     Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
     Let cool for 20-30 minutes before lifting out of dutch oven.

Unroll piecrust in dutch oven, spread with pie filling then sprinkle with topping

Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes

Serve yourself a warm slice of apple cobbler

Cherry Cobbler For Two

     I really love cooking in my 8 inch dutch oven, not only is it lighter to carry, uses fewer coals and is easier to clean but I am always amazed by how efficiently it bakes for it's smaller size.  To honor the Father of our Country's birthday I decided to bake a scaled back version of a cherry cobbler/dump cake.  Oil your oven well, dump in the pie filling, sprinkle with the cake mix, pour over the soda, pat with butter and bake.  I placed 8 coals in a ring around the base of the oven, 10 coals around the rim of the lid and two in the center.  In about 40 minutes the cherries were bubbling away and the cake was puffy and golden.  Celebrate George Washington's big day with this sweet and classic dutch oven dessert.

Cherry Cobbler for Two
1 21 oz. can cherry pie filling
1 9 oz. package yellow cake mix (I used Jiffy brand)
3/4 cup raspberry ginger ale
3-4 Tblsp butter, cut into 7 or 8 slices

     Lightly oil or spray 8 inch dutch oven.
     Spread pie filling in prepared oven.
     Sprinkle cake mix evenly over pie filling.
     Pour ginger ale over cake mix, covering completely.
     Dot with butter.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until top is lightly browned and pie filling is bubbling.
     Makes 2 to 4 servings.

Layer pie filling, cake mix, raspberry ginger ale and butter in dutch oven

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until brown and bubbling

I cannot tell a lie, this is really good

Chocolate Banana Cake with Fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting

 Valentine's Day just wouldn't be the same without a little chocolate in your day.  This brownie-like cake from food.com has the subtle flavor of bananas and is so rich it doesn't even need frosting, just give it a light dusting of confectioner's sugar.  In my 12 inch oven the thick, dense batter baked in 30 minutes with 12 coals around the base and 24-26 briquettes on the lid.  I found the Peanut Butter Frosting recipe on Allrecipes.com, it is undoubtedly one of the best and lightest frostings I have ever tasted.  If you don't have a chance to try the cake, save the frosting recipe because it's definitely a keeper.  Be sure to soften the butter in your microwave if you can to eliminate any lumps when you whip it with the peanut butter.  So lasso your favorite Valentine and celebrate the day with something sweet and delicious. 
    
Chocolate Banana Cake
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup mashed bananas
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sour milk (put 1 Tblsp vinegar in 3/4 cup measuring cup, fill with skim milk) OR buttermilk

     Lightly oil or spray 12 inch dutch oven; line with parchment paper.
     Cream butter with sugar and eggs.
     Mix in banana and vanilla.
     Mix flour with remaining dry ingredients.
     Add flour mixture to butter mixture in 3 parts, alternating with sour milk; begin and end with flour.
     Spread batter evenly in prepared dutch oven.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
     Cool completely before frosting.

Fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, well softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 Tblsp milk, or as needed
2 cups confectioner's sugar

     Place butter and peanut butter in medium bowl; beat with electric mixer until well combined.
     Gradually mix in the sugar and when it starts to get thick, add milk one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable.
     Continue beating for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. 

Spread thick batter in parchment lined oven, bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes

Cool completely before frosting

Light peanutty frosting is the perfect compliment to this rich, moist cake

Granny Smiths in a Blanket

    The days are getting longer and February is right around the corner, it's a month of chocolate, flowers and of course heart shaped candies.  This recipe for Granny Smiths in a Blanket bathes dough crusted apples in a syrup colored with cinnamon flavored Red Hot candies.  It requires a little effort in that you need to peel, core and wrap the apples then cook the syrup separately on your stovetop or even in a smaller dutch oven.  Oil your dutch oven well, arrange the blanketed apples in the bottom of your oven, spoon over the syrup and bake.  I baked five apples in my 10 inch dutch oven with 10 coals in a ring around the bottom and 24 on the lid.  After 20 minutes I spooned the hot syrup over the top of the apples and covered them with a piece of aluminum foil to prevent them from burning, their total cooking time was 45 minutes.  Like individual apple pies baked in a sweet, blushing pink syrup, top with whipped cream or your favorite ice cream.  From White Trash Gatherings: From-Scratch Cooking for Down-Home Entertaining, by Kendra Bailey Morris.

Granny Smiths in a Blanket
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 1/2 cups water, plus more as needed
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
20 Red Hots candies
1 Tblsp unsalted butter, plus 1 Tblsp for sprinkling
2 (9-inch) unbaked refrigerated pie crusts, preferably the roll-out kind
6 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     Combine sugar, water, cinnamon, nutmeg and Red Hots in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
     Bring to a boil, then immediately remove from the heat and add the tablespoon of butter.
     Mix well until all the candies are dissolved and the butter has melted; keep warm.
     Cut each pie crust into 3 wedges.
     Use 1 wedge to wrap each apple all the way around, leaving the cored part of the apple exposed on the top.
     Arrange apples in prepared dutch oven.
     Sprinkle a little sugar and cinnamon on each apple, then using the remaining tablespoon of butter, place a small amount into the cored center of each apple.
     Pour the hot cinnamon-candy syrup evenly over the apples.
     Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, basting with the hot syrup halfway through cooking time.
     If the syrup begins to get too thick, add water as needed to thin it.
     Serve apples warm; garnish with Red Hots if desired.

Hot cinnamon candies melt into sweet syrup

Spoon pink syrup over dough covered apples

Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, baste apples with syrup halfway through cooking time

A warm, mini apple pie dripping with cinnamon