Appetizer
& cast iron The smell of browned Dutch oven cobbler and alpine air is the most comforting end to any day, anywhere. By Hannah Hall
M
2021
y childhood stomach lived on fresh-caught trout, burnt marshmallows and Dutch oven cobbler while camping in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The obsidian-lined valleys were remnants of California’s volcanic history, evidence of where scalding lava cooled quickly into natural beauty. It was only fitting that this was where I learned to cook over fire and cast iron.
I recommend preparing these recipes with dirt jammed underneath your fingernails, looking up at constellations. But you can also make these recipes at home, or wherever your favorite cooking space may be. These desserts are made with simple ingredients that can easily be altered with your own imagination. Don’t be afraid to make up your own cobbler recipe, too. Adventure lives on along the trails and in the oven.
After a long day of hiking and swimming in creeks at an altitude of 11,000 feet, the only thing that could provide true comfort was my dad’s Dutch oven cobbler. The outdoors is also where I discovered my love of storytelling as I told ghost stories on the spot around a campfire, gesturing with a fork full of peach cobbler in hand. Just as I learned the thrill of writing my own stories, the Dutch oven became an artist’s palette; I followed where my creativity led me and experimented with different fruits, spices and sodas. It was in this place -- beyond the formalities and safety of a recipe -- where I found true comfort in the outdoors.
If you’re cooking with charcoal
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Heat 45 charcoal briquettes in the fire until they are white. Place 15 at the bottom of the Dutch oven and 30 on the lid. Total cooking time will be 20 to 30 minutes. The cobblers are done cooking when they’re golden brown.
If you’re cooking in the oven No worries if you don’t have a Dutch oven! Use a 9x12 inch pie dish or a 9x13 inch baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350˚F and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown.