We recycle this article annually around this time of year. Try roasting your turkey Dutch Oven style, using charcoal. For the full details including a video. Follow the link to:
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PERFECT SIZE FOR TWO
How many of you have multiple pieces of Cast Iron Cookware? I certainly have way too big of a collection. Probably borderline hoarder? Actually, no “probably” about it. LOL!
From Skillets to Dutch Ovens, to other iron in between. They are meant to be used and not just sit on the shelf. I try to put many of them to real use from time to time.
Often times I find myself returning to my #8 Cast Iron Dutch Ovens. I have three of the more modern Lodge in this size.
I find them perfectly sized when cooking for two people….perhaps even large enough for four depending on what you cook or bake. No need to waste expensive charcoal. Most things can be baked or cooked with 15-16 properly arranged briquets.
See our thoughts on Heat Management or Coal Counting.
I find the 8 inch Dutch Ovens especially ideal for camping. While their larger cousins are great for competition cooking, large pot-luck’s, or cooking/baking for more people or a larger than two family. My go to Dutch Oven for camping trips is my 8 inch. The smaller size makes their weight insignificant.
These are great for a small batch of morning biscuits or pastries. Able to produce those hot and fresh goodies while waking up to some fresh coffee. If you want a full blown breakfast, bake up a Dutch Oven Mountain Man Breakfast.
Our Homemade Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe
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WHITE BREAD Old Fashion (Agave & Coconut Milk)
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The taste of this bread is that of old fashioned white bread. There is no coconut taste in the finished bread. Organic Blue Agave is used since it is a low Hypoglycemic organic sweetener. A friend (Kathleen Leblanc) gave me a bread recipe using Agave Syrup in place of sugar. Starting my quest of using Agave.
The version shown here is my tweaked version to suit my tastes. I use Coconut Milk rather than regular milk , other milks, or water.
Adding extra Agave to sweeten the dough and this also makes excellent Cinnamon Roll dough.
I often bake this in a Dutch Oven. Free form loaves could be used. Or small loaf pans. Use a large, tall, Dutch Oven and coals for 375°. I prefer to use one standard bread loaf pan. I place a wire rack in the Dutch Oven to elevate the loaf pan slightly.
| Prep Time | 90 Minutes |
| Cook Time | 30 Minutes |
| Passive Time | 5 Minutes |
| Servings |
Loaf
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Ingredients
- 4 Cups 4 to 4 1/4 all-purpose flour
- 13.5 Oz Can Coconut Milk - Unsweetened (warmed)
- 4 teaspoons Rapid rise yeast
- 4 Tbls Agave Liquid Sweetener Warmed
- 1 Large Egg raw whisked Warm-Room Temperture
- 2 Tbls Butter - melted but only warm not hot
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Salt
Ingredients
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Instructions
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SET BREAD MACHINE to “Quick”, “Dough” Start so pre-heat is going.
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PLACE Flour in bread machine. Make a hole in the flour pile with your finger (Volcano looking) and pour the salt into the hole in the flour, then cover the hole.
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COMBINE in a separate bowl the Warm Coconut Milk, warm Agave, and Yeast. Whisk and allow to "grow" 5 to 15 minutes.
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COMBINE in yet another separate bowl the whisked warm raw Egg, and melted but only warmed Butter. Whisk to combine. {DO NOT heat the butter so hot, it cooks the egg when they are combined)
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COMBINE the Milk/Agave/Yeast mixture with the Egg/Butter mixture and whisk to combine all the liquids.
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POUR combined liquid mixture gently around the edges of the flour/salt volcano in the bread machine.
Let the bread machine starting running through Quick, Dough, cycle (Mix & Rise normally about 45 Minutes) This is normally a manual override setting on most bread machines. (A mixer and dough hook could be used. Or the old fashioned method of kneading on a bread board.
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After the machine runs through its dough cycle ( about 45 minutes). Pull the dough out and place on a floured bread board. Knead and add extra flour if needed to get to proper consistency (just beyond sticky). Stretch and pat dough to about 1 in thick. Then Roll up and pinch seal the long seam, and tuck the two ends under to form your loaf. Pinch sealing the fold under also.
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PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees F. Grease Bread Pans. The warmed stove top will become the area to raise the loaves. Put a thin layer of olive oil on all exposed surfaces of your dough loaf. Place the dough loaf in your greased bread pan with the sealed edges down. Cover the loaf/pan with a floured towel and place on your warm stove top. Just not directly above any oven vent that may get overly hot.
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Let the loaf raise until doubled. About 45 minutes.
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Gently place the raised loaf in the preheated 375° oven and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. When finished baked loaf is tapped, it sounds kind of hollow if everything went well.
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While hot remove from the loaf pan. Carefully to avoid collapsing the top. For a soft crust rub butter on all surfaces of the loaf while still hot.
Cover with a towel until cooled. Once cooled completely. The loaf can be sealed in a bread bag.
Recipe Notes
You can make the dough without using a bread machine using traditional methods and arm power.
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A Biscuit kind of morning
Some cold mornings you just have to reach for the buttermilk, real butter, and just be Bad!
Real old fashioned biscuit making is a lost art in many families. A generation away it was common. “Canned” biscuits are something more recent.
If you have never had real homemade biscuits you are really missing a delightful breakfast addition. Fresh and warm just out of your oven, they can’t be beat.
Its even more fun if you have vintage biscuit cutters and bake these in a cast iron Dutch Oven using charcoal or wood coals.
Click this Link for Recipe and helpful techniques.
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RECIPE: Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling
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| Prep Time | 25 Minutes |
| Cook Time | 15 Minutes |
| Passive Time | 1 Hour |
| Servings |
Servings
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Ingredients
The Cake Roll
- 3 Eggs Room Temperature
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 2/3 Cup Canned Pumpkin
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- 3/4 Cup Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 2 tsp Cinnamon (ground)
- 1 tsp Ginger (ground)
- 1/2 tsp Nutmeg (ground)
- 1 Pinch Clove Powder (ground)
- 1/2 tsp Salt
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 5 Tbsp Butter softened
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Powdered sugar for the towel
- 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar Enough to cover towel
Ingredients
The Cake Roll
Cream Cheese Filling
Powdered sugar for the towel
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Instructions
The Cake
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Note: 2/3 Cups of Pumpkin is half of a 15 oz can of canned Pumpkin. So instead of wasting a partial can, plan on making a double batch (2 Rolls). The recipe above is for a single batch (1 Roll).
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Heat Oven to 350°F. Prepare a greased 10x15 jelly roll pan (cookie sheet). Line the bottom with wax paper, then lightly spray the wax paper with a spray oil such as Pam.
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Lay out on your counter, a thin towel, sized at least the size of your jelly roll pan. Sprinkle it liberally with powdered sugar.
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In a large bowl lightly beat the eggs. Gradually beat in the sugar, beat until thick and light yellow. (4 to 5 minutes of beating). Add the pumpkin and lemon juice and beat on low until blended.
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In a separate bowl, combine/sift the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the egg mixture. Whisk until well combined. Spread the batter onto the prepare Jelly pan.
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Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes. The cake should spring back when lightly touched with your finger. Start checking at 12 minutes, and at 1 minute intervals after that. Remove the cake from the oven and run a knife along side all edges to help release it from the pan. Immediately flip the cake/pan onto the powdered sugar covered towel. Gently lift the upside down pan away and the cake should remain behind on the towel. Gently peel away the wax paper and discard it.
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Starting on the narrow end of the cake, roll the cake and the towel up together to form a log. Place this on a wire rack to cool.
Filling
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While the cake is cooling prepare the filling. In a small bowl sift the powdered sugar and set it aside. Using a mixer, Beat together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy (about 4 minutes). Gradually beat in the sifted powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
The Filling & the Rolling
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Once the cake roll is cool (needs to be cool to avoid melting the filling), carefully unroll the cake. Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the entire surface of the cake. Then roll the cake and filling (not the towel this time) into a log, or roll. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour in the refrigerator before serving.
These can be made ahead and frozen.
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Slice the cake and filling roll into 1 inch slices. Keep leftovers in the refrigerator.
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APPLE CREAM CHEESE DANISH PASTRY
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| Prep Time | 30 Minutes |
| Cook Time | 30 Minutes |
| Passive Time | 30 Minutes |
| Servings |
Servings
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Ingredients
PASTRY
- 1 Sheet Frozen Puff Pastry Sheet 16x24 Not Pie Crust!
- 1/2 Stick Butter Softened
- 1 Can Can Apple Pie filling
- ½ Cup Sugar
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 4 oz cream cheese
ICING
- ½ Stick Butter Softened
- 3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar More or less - Start with 1/2 Cup
- ½ tsp Orange Juice
- ¼ tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 Pinch Salt
Ingredients
PASTRY
ICING
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Instructions
- Pastry Prep Pre-heat oven to 375°F
- Lay out frozen Puff Pastry on a greased or spray oiled sheet of aluminum foil. Allow it to mostly thaw and come to room temperature. Spread the ½ Stick of soft butter over the entire top surface. Use more butter if necessary.
- Dump the entire can of apple pie filling on the Puff Pastry. This has to be roughly down the middle of the long dimension. Prior to baking you will be folding the pastry dough in half to create a 8x24 baking dimension. Do not fold yet! Keep the filling about 1 inch away from all edges.
- Spread the filling the best you can over half the puff pastry avoiding the edges.
- Mix the Sugar, Cinnamon, and salt together. Sprinkle that sugar mixture over the apple filling.
- I use (4) 1 oz foil packs of cream cheese for the next step. You could cut a softened 8 oz brick of cream cheese as an alternative. Nothing says you can't use 8 oz and use up the cream cheese. In my case I lay a 4 oz ribbon of cream cheese down the center of the filling from side to side.
- Once the pastry is completely thawed and foldable without cracking, fold the pastry over the top of the filling on to itself to create a pocket. Use a fork to seal the top dough to the bottom dough on both ends and the long edge.
- Cut some vent strips through the top of the Puff Pastry using a wet sharp knife.
- Slip the aluminum foil onto a cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 375°F for approximately 30 minutes or until golden brown and flaky.
- Once baked slide the pastry and foil off the hot cookie sheet onto a wire rack to cool.
- Icing Prep
- While the pastry is baking prepare the icing. Mix the softened butter, orange juice, and vanilla together in a small but kind of deep bowl. Using a spoon, start beating small amounts of powdered sugar in by hand.
- Continue adding and beating in powdered sugar until you obtain a desired stiff, but pipe-able icing. Adjust to taste. If adding any additional liquid, do so in very small amounts. Then beat in additional sugar to get a stiff consistency.
- I then move the icing into a quart sized freezer zip lock. Snip one of the corners off with scissors, and this becomes a disposable piping bag.
- Once the baked pastry has cooled some, pipe the icing across the top.
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