BAKED GOODS AND THE PITCH IN

[bobhenry]

I recently attended a gathering and sampled a peach cobbler baked by a self professed first time baker.

The flavor was as good as it gets but you could tell she had simply ran out of time while getting it ready for the pitch in deadline. It was the last black pot to arrive and was hot hot hot. It was great except you needed a spoon instead of a fork to eat it.

I have made the exact same mistake, not allowing enough of a head start to be able to meet the food serving deadline.

However in eight years I have finally learned. Just start baked goods early and don't worry about having it " hot out of the oven" temperature.

I start early and cook till a skewer comes out clean. Take it off of the fire and let the dutch oven keep it warm. If you absolutely can't stand it being cool when served you can add 4-5 coals about 15 minutes before serving time and warm the pot.

My point don't try and plan any baking down to the minute it has never proven to work for me. Air temp and wind conditions even humidity are all factors in outdoor cast iron cooking. Any combination of these conditions can delay cooking 15 to 30 minutes. Start early, cook it slow and easy, and enjoy the praises of your fellow campers.

[KCStudly]

Deadlines and cooking/camping out seem like contradictory terms to me.
I understand the need for a mustering time in a gathering scenario, so your advice makes perfect sense, but on the other hand, it rubs against the grain in some small way for me to think about someone having to hustle and fret.

I guess that just makes your advice even more valuable; relax, take it easy, don't stress and take your time... just be sure to start early enough so that you can enjoy yourself while you're doing it!

Good advice.

[bonnie]

What KC said. I am so impressed with the skill shown in cooking. So many people really enjoying the cooking part of camping, I enjoy the sampling.