Heart Pan?

[Rob]

Okay, what is this & what do I do with it?
A coworker found a 7"x9" cast iron (aluminum?) pan at the Goodwill store for $1. It was manufactured (cast) by the John Wright Company in Wrightsville, PA.

Front:


Back:


Stamp on back:


It certainly needs a little TLC to eliminate the rust & add some seasoning. Can we put it directly over some coals? Thoughts on what should be cooked in it? How 'bout mini pancakes?

Thanks in advance!

[High Desert]

heart shaped muffins?

nice find, that's a kewl piece

[bobhenry]

I'd give it a try by placing coals under a grate and set in on the grate. A throw away aluminum turkey roaster would make a top to trap the heat like an oven to bake any type of breads cakes or muffins you can dream up. A inexpensive oven thermometer shoved thru the top may take a lot of guess work out of this experiment.

If you place coals on the top there is a chance they may get hot enough to burn thru depending on the roaster.

Let's see how about the old tried and true cornbread or maybe a simple yellow cake smothered in fresh strawberries or a spice cake with burnt brown sugar iceing or maybe a white cake with carmel glaze. or just muffins stuffed with every combination of fruit and nuts you can find.

Damn I'm gettin' hungry !

[doug hodder]

Rob....just use your 14" pizza oven as a regular oven and place it in there, I use a small pie cooling rack to get it up off the bottom. Like Bob H says, you could do up small cakes for stawberry shortcake, scones or whatever. I've baked using regular pans in my pizza oven, lasagna etc...works great. Doug

[fornesto]

Mini pizzas!!!!!!!!!!!

[Laredo]

believe it or not that's a specialty pan ... Wilton's used to sell cast aluminum pans like that for making tortes for weddings.

The baker made half the hearts with a chocolate batter and the other half with a different flavor -- French vanilla, or coconut, or almond or mocha -- then when they baked, frosted the tops and stacked the layers tall (four hearts with frosting serves two people), then covered everything with either whipped cream (for summer / outdoor weddings) or royal icing (for indoors).

The good news is now you can charge extra for cakes, pancakes, or baked waffles on Valentine's, anniversaries, and birthdays.

What to do with it?
Shortbread!!!

1 1/2 lbs butter, softened to room temperature (yep, that's right: six stix!)
4 cups flour, twice-sifted
pinch salt
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract



In a big bowl cream the butter with the sugars until fluffy. Beat in salt and vanilla, then add the flour, folding in until all is well mixed. Bake at 375 F for 10-12 minutes, just until edges start to brown. Makes about 2 dozen 2-inch cookies, or about 18 3-inch cookies. These will be rich -- if you overbake them, they will be as hard as rocks.

(Danish wedding cookies are made from this basic recipe, with the addition of 2 beaten egg whites plus 1 tbsp baking powder and 1 cup crushed mixed (1/3 almonds, 1/3 black walnuts, 1/3 pecans) nuts; they're rolled in sifted powdered sugar while warm. To make Mexican wedding cookies, sift the powdered sugar with 1/2 tsp each cardamom, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg -- you can add a pinch of this to the batter if you wish.)

Serve warm with fresh hulled strawberries and whipped cream ...

Keeps well in a sealed container.

[Art & Pat Burns]

Okay, what is this & what do I do with it?
A coworker found a 7"x9" cast iron (aluminum?) pan at the Goodwill store for $1. It was manufactured (cast) by the John Wright Company in Wrightsville, PA.

Front:


Back:


Stamp on back:


It certainly needs a little TLC to eliminate the rust & add some seasoning. Can we put it directly over some coals? Thoughts on what should be cooked in it? How 'bout mini pancakes?

Thanks in advance!

Aluminum wouldn't have all that rust!
Art

[planovet]

... what do I do with it?

I think you should send it to me!

[Eunice]

... what do I do with it?

I think you should send it to me!

but I'm closer....less postage cookies and candy mold. I agree aluminum wouldnt have all that rust. would work great in the 14" pizza oven which I have!!!

[Gaelen]

I agree with Art--that's cast iron, not aluminum.
And it's a shortbread pan...at least, that's what my Scots Gramma used hers for (no, I don't have hers, but I wish I did).
She used hers right in the oven. A good butter shortbread will season it right up.

[planovet]

Not a bad deal since they are selling the same pan at other places for about $25.

LINK 1

LINK 2

[Rob]

DANG! I knew I could get a bit of information from y'all on this thing. We might have to try some baking in the pizza oven or under the aluminum roasting pan. Maybe a little practice & we'll feel confident enough to try it at the next gathering.

Thx!