Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Campfire Cake

      Sitting around a crackling campfire under a starry sky is one of the greatest joys of camping.  When I saw this cleverly decorated Campfire Cake online I could hardly wait to make it, although not entirely made in your dutch oven, you can easily make the candy flames at home, package them carefully in a container and transport them to your outdoor destination. 
     Hershey's brings us another simple to make from scratch, rich, dark, chocolate cake recipe.  The only extra step involved is boiling the water.  It does make a very thin batter so be sure to have your dutch oven on even ground, otherwise you'll end up with a lopsided cake.  In my 12 inch dutch oven, the cake baked for exactly 35 minutes with 12 coals in a ring around the bottom, 18 in a ring around the outside of the lid with 7-8 placed evenly in the center.  Use a cake tester to make sure it's completely baked all the way through before removing from the coals and allow it to cool completely before lifting from the oven.  For convenience I used two cans of store bought frosting but have included the frosting recipe if you'd prefer to make it from scratch.
     Use a packaged mix if you like or place candles between the flames for a real showstopping birthday cake.  This cake is so much fun to make and a real treat for all your favorite scouts, campers and lovers of the outdoors. 

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Campfire Cake
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

     Lightly oil or spray 12 inch dutch oven; line with parchment paper.
     In large bowl stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
     Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes.
     Stir in boiling water, batter will be thin.
     Pour batter into prepared oven.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
     Cool completely before removing from oven.
     Frost with 2 cans of prepared frosting or use following recipe.

Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

     Melt butter; stir in cocoa.
     Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.
     Add small amount of additional milk, if needed.
     Stir in vanilla.
     Makes 2 cups frosting.

Campfire Decorations
15 hard yellow butterscotch candies, unwrapped
15 hard red cinnamon candies, unwrapped
Cooking spray
Pepperidge Farm Pirouette Cookies

     Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
     Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil, spray lightly with cooking spray.
     Crush candies in zip lock bag.
     Spread crushed candies evenly on prepared cookie sheet.
     Bake for 5-7 minutes or until candies have melted.
     Cool completely.
     When candy has hardened, break into pieces the size of flames.
     Insert candy shards gently into center of frosted cake.
     Place Pirouette cookies around flames, resembling the logs of a campfire.
     If desired, add mini marshmallows placed on wooden toothpicks around cookies.

Pour thin batter into parchment lined oven

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes

For decorations, spread crushed candies on sprayed
and foil lined cookie sheet

Bake at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes or until melted then
cool and break into pieces

Frost cake then go to town building your 'campfire'

A cake any camper will love 

Chicken and Cheese Doritos Casserole

      If you're searching for an easy, one bowl, kid-friendly, camping casserole, this recipe is for you.  Although it looked tasty, I didn't have high expectations for this simple dish, however, everyone ended up going back for seconds and it was surprisingly good.  In my 12 inch dutch oven it baked for a total of 35 minutes with 12 coals in a ring around the bottom, 18 around the edge of the lid with 8 placed loosely in the center.  After 30 minutes it was bubbling and ready for the final topping of cheese.  It's creamy, cheesy, crunchy and a good campfire dutch oven dinner.
 
Chicken and Cheese Doritos Casserole
3 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded
1 cup sour cream
1 10 oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 10 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 14 oz can petite cut zesty tomatoes with jalapenos, drained
1 15 oz can corn, drained
2 cups Mexican blend cheese, shredded and divided
1 11 oz bag Nacho Cheese Doritos, crushed

     Lightly oil or spray 12 inch dutch oven.
     Completely cover bottom of dutch oven with crushed Doritos.
     In large bowl, combine chicken, sour cream, mushroom soup, chicken soup, tomatoes, corn and 1 cup cheese until well blended.
     Spoon chicken mixture evenly over crushed Doritos.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbling.
     Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of cheese.
     Bake for 5-7 minutes or until cheese has melted.
     Makes 6 servings.

Spoon chicken mixture over layer of crushed Doritos

After 30 minutes, or when casserole is bubbling, add
remaining cup of cheese and bake until melted

A swell recipe for beginning dutch oven cooks

Blueberry Buttermilk Scones

     These Blueberry Buttermilk Scones from Martha Stewart could float right out of your oven.  The addition of cake flour and the extra baking powder make them especially light and tender.  If you don't have cake flour on hand go ahead and use two full cups of the all-purpose variety.  The batter is wet enough to drop by spoonfuls into your dutch oven if you don't feel like patting out the dough and cutting it into wedges.  The scones baked for 20 minutes in my 10 inch dutch oven with 10 coals in a ring around the bottom and 26 briquettes on the lid.  Like biscuits, you need cold butter and a hot oven to help them rise.  While blueberries are in season, give these beauties a try and if you need to use frozen blueberries, add them right from the freezer into the dough.

Blueberry Buttermilk Scones
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour (not self rising)
3 Tblsp granulated sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 oz (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg, plus 1 egg lightly beaten for egg wash
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Fine sugar, for sprinkling

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     In large bowl, whisk together flours, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt.
     Cut in butter with a pastry cutter, or rub in with your fingers, until mixture has the texture of coarse meal.
     Stir in blueberries.
     Whisk together buttermilk, 1 egg and vanilla.
     Add wet ingredients to flour mixture, stir lightly with a fork until dough comes together.
     Turn out dough on work surface and gently knead once or twice.
     Pat dough into a 9 inch circle, cut into 8 wedges.
     Carefully place wedges in prepared dutch oven.
     Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with fine sugar.
     Bake at 400 degrees for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
     Cool for 15 minutes before removing from dutch oven.

Pat dough into a circle and cut into 8 wedges or drop
by large spoonfuls into prepared oven

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-22 minutes

Busting with blueberries and lighter than air
 

Shoestring Potato Quiche

     The internet can be a cook's best friend.  The other day I picked up a family sized can of potato sticks on the damaged goods shelf for ninety nine cents.  Hmmmm, now what to do with this other than eating the whole can in front of the t.v. in one sitting.  Thanks to the mysterious powers of Google and The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board I found this recipe for Shoestring Potato Quiche. 
     Basically a crustless quiche, you can mix it in one bowl, pour it into your dutch oven and in 25 minutes have a very tasty, any time of the day, filling meal.  Of course, kids will love this one, as it bakes the potato sticks taste like you added hash browns and you don't have to worry about thawing them at your campsite.  My basic formula for a quiche, which has never failed me, is to add 1 cup of cream to six beaten eggs.  Next time I will definitely make this with 6 eggs instead of 4 and cook it a few minutes longer.  In my 10 inch dutch oven it baked for 20 minutes with 10 coals in a ring around the bottom, 15 in a ring around the edge of the lid and 6 briquettes spaced evenly in the center.  Crunchy, cheesy and simple to make, add some chopped, cooked bacon and you've got a camping quiche everyone will love.

Shoestring Potato Quiche
1 4 oz can (about 2 2/3 cups) shoestring potatoes, divided
4 eggs, slightly beaten (add 2 more eggs for a fluffier quiche)
1 cup milk OR half and half
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tblsp chopped green onion
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
Dash of cayenne pepper OR hot sauce

     Lightly oil or spray 10 inch dutch oven.
     Reserve 1/4 cup of shoestring potatoes for topping.
     In large bowl, combine beaten eggs and milk.
     Stir in all other ingredients except potatoes.
     Fold in potatoes and pour into prepared dutch oven.
     Sprinkle with reserved 1/4 cup potatoes on top.
     Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean.
     Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
     Makes 6 servings.

Pour egg mixture into prepared 10 inch dutch oven and top
with 1/4 cup of potato sticks

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes

The potato sticks taste like hash browns once they've baked

Plum Crumble

     There is nothing better than a warm cobbler or crumble made with fresh summer fruit scooped from your dutch oven and topped with a good vanilla ice cream.  It's one of life's simple pleasures and this excellent recipe from a Sept. 21, 2005 issue of the New York Times combines fresh plums with candied ginger under a buttery topping.  You pour melted butter over the topping before baking so there's no need to pack a pastry blender.  The crumble baked for 30 minutes in my 10 inch dutch oven with 10 coals in a ring around the bottom, 15 coals around the outside edge of the lid and 5 spaced evenly in the center.  Let it cool a bit before serving and be sure to add the crystallized ginger, it really adds a wonderful flavor to the plum filling.

Plum Crumble
Plum filling
2 Tblsp brown sugar
1 1/2 Tblsp flour
1/3 tsp cinnamon
1/3 tsp ground ginger
2 heaping Tblsp finely chopped candied ginger
6-8 large OR 12 small plums, cut in half and pitted
Topping
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 egg, well beaten
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     In large bowl, thoroughly mix filling ingredients.
     Arrange plums, in single layer in prepared dutch oven.
     To make topping, in medium bowl combine granulated sugar, baking powder, salt and 1/2 tsp cinnamon, mix well.
     Stir in egg.
     Using hands, mix thoroughly until mixture resembles small crumbs.
     Sprinkle over plums.
     Drizzle butter evenly over crumb topping.
     Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until filling is bubbling and topping is lightly browned.
     If desired, serve with ice cream.
     Makes 6 servings.

Toss plums with flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and gingers then
place in single layer in prepared oven

Sprinkle with topping then drizzle with melted butter

Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes or until golden and bubbling

Okay everyone, let's get ready to crumble!

 

Aunt Liz's Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

     If you're having a bad day at the office, you need to run home and make yourself Aunt Liz's Chicken Spaghetti Casserole.  It is like a big hug from your favorite aunt baked into a church supper casserole.  Nothing fancy, just one of those old fashioned, creamy, noodly hot dishes that fills you up and soothes your soul.  It's a terrific dutch oven dinner because you don't have to cook the spaghetti beforehand.  Chop the onions and celery into a finer dice, that way they'll soften and cook all the way through. 
     In my 10 inch dutch oven, the casserole cooked for 40 minutes with 10 coals in a ring around the bottom and about 20-22 briquettes spaced evenly on the lid.  Give it a stir halfway and don't add the cheese until you know the pasta has cooked completely.  I used thin spaghetti but regular is fine.  Of course you can jazz it up with your favorite herbs or a can of water chestnuts but there's something rather nostalgic and comforting about a June Cleaver type of dinner.  Try a bowl of this baked spaghetti in the woods by the light of your Coleman lantern and you'll feel like you're feasting on a gourmet meal.

Aunt Liz's Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
2 cups diced, cooked chicken
2 cups (about 7 oz) spaghetti, uncooked, broken into 2-inch pieces
1 cup celery, finely chopped
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup jarred, roasted red pepper, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
2 10 3/4 oz cans cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
Salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     Combine chicken, celery, onion, 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, red pepper and spaghetti in large bowl.
     Whisk mushroom soup, chicken broth, salt and pepper in medium bowl until well combined.
     Add soup mixture to chicken mixture; toss until well combined.
     Spoon into prepared dutch oven, making sure all noodles are submerged in liquid.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, stirring halfway.
     Sprinkle with remaining Cheddar, continue to cook until cheese has melted and noodles are tender.
     Makes 4-6 servings.

Combine all ingredients and spoon into prepared dutch oven

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, stirring halfway

When noodles are tender sprinkle with cheese and
continue baking until cheese has melted

Thank you Aunt Liz, it's a keeper

Fresh Raspberry-Sour Cream Crumb Cake

     Berries are my weakness.  This is the time of year when I really splurge, secretly hoarding cartons of them in my vegetable drawer.  Piling them on my cereal every morning with abandon makes me feel as though I'm living in the lap of luxury.  During the winter, when berries are expensive, I ration out my daily allotment and dream about the warm days of July when blueberries are cheap and plentiful.  This recipe from Williams Sonoma uses fresh raspberries in a streusel topped coffee cake.  This is a true coffee cake in every sense of the word, sweet and buttery on top with a dryish crumb, the perfect accompaniment to a steaming cup of coffee.
     It baked in my 10 inch dutch oven for 50 minutes with 10 coals in a ring around the base of the oven, 16 around the edge of the lid with 6 spaced evenly in the center.  With so much butter in the topping, you need to check it after 25 minutes or so to make sure it is not browning too quickly.  I loosely placed a 10 inch square of foil over the top during the last 10 minutes of baking time and it came out perfectly.  Let it cool a good half hour before lifting it out of your oven.  This would also be good with blueberries, just add some cinnamon to the topping to perk up the flavor.

Fresh Raspberry-Sour Cream Crumb Cake
For the crumb topping
1 cup flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
8 Tblsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
For the cake
1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups fresh raspberries
For dusting
2 Tblsp confectioners' sugar

     Lightly oil or spray 10 inch dutch oven; line with parchment paper.
     To make crumb topping, in small bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and lemon zest.
     Add the melted butter and stir with a fork until the mixture is crumbly; set aside.
     To make the cake, in large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
     In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream and vanilla until well blended.
     Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the sour cream mixture.
     Beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
     Spoon the batter into prepared dutch oven and spread evenly.
     Cover evenly with the raspberries.
     Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the berries.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes, covering loosely with foil if necessary to prevent top from burning.
     Cake is done when top is golden brown and tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
     Allow cake to cool for 30 minutes before lifting from dutch oven with parchment paper.
     Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve warm or at room temperature.

Top batter with layer of fresh raspberries then streusel topping

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until tester
comes out clean

Allow to cool for 30 minutes in dutch oven before removing and
 sprinkling with confectioners' sugar

The quintessential summer coffee cake