Peach Cobbler

[HankB]

This is a favorite from Boy Scout days and so easy a Cub Scout can make it. It does go well with a camp Dutch Oven but could probably be done in any vessel suitable for cooking in a kettle. With a camp Dutch oven you don't even need a kettle - just some charcoal.

Ingredients (for 'standard' size Dutch oven, 6 qt, 12" diameter.)

• 2 cans of peaches
• Generous sprinkle of cinnamon
• One stick (1/4 lb) butter
• 2 boxes yellow cake mix

Preparation
Pour the fruit into the Dutch oven. Sprinkle the cinnamon on top. Without disturbing the fruit, pour the dry cake mix over the fruit and level it off. (To be clear, do not make the cake mix according to package directions, use the cake mix dry.) Cut the butter into pats and spread over the cake mix.

Cook
Put the lid on the Dutch oven and put it in the kettle with some coals scattered on the lid. (This is why the lid of the camp ovens have a ridge on the outside.) Ordinarily I would go with 8-10 briquettes under the oven and about a dozen on the lid but inside the kettle you won't need as many. I did this on a 22 kettle after cooking dinner and put as much of the lump that I could easily pick up on the lid and then closed the bottom vent to just a crack to reduce the temperature to about 300°F. Depending on temperature, it should take about 45 minutes to bake. The filling will bubble and the cake mix will lightly brown when it is done. This cobbler is rather dense so it is best served with some milk poured over it or a scoop of ice cream to lighten it up a little. Let it cool a little but do serve warm.

If you don't have a camp Dutch oven it would probably work fine in any uncovered Dutch oven or even a cast iron skillet. Coals on top are required when cooking in an open fire pit. Just be wary of using too many coals as it can be burned. A little caramelization is OK but charring adds nothing to the flavor. 

Variations
I added a third can of peaches but drained the syrup from the third can. I like peaches.  One popular variation is to use canned cherries and chocolate cake mix - AKA Black Forest cobbler. You can mix any fruit and cake mix you like. I do not recommend pie filling in place of fruit because it is much dryer, but if you add some liquid to the fruit it should work as well. Some scouts were fond of pouring a can of pop over the assembly prior to baking which lightened the resulting cobbler a little but I preferred serving with milk or ice cream instead.

This is a great dessert to assemble ahead of time and then put on the kettle after you finish cooking the main course. When dinner is done, dessert will soon be ready!

[Craig]

This is a favorite from Boy Scout days and so easy a Cub Scout can make it. It does go well with a camp Dutch Oven !

Thanks for sharing that recipe Hank! Haven't had Dutch Oven Cobbler since my days in Boy Scouts. We used to do Dutch Oven pizza too! I need to do these again.

[Sonny Roach]

Thanks, Hank. I want to try this recipe. I do peach and strawberry cobbler several times a year in my kettle, start uncovered in an alumimun pan then foil it close to getting done. Love the bit of smoke it picks up.