Easy is an understatement. If you’ve never cooked outdoors in a Dutch oven and are looking for an entry level recipe, look no further. This cobbler can be made with fresh fruit in season or canned fruit any time of year. We chose cherry, but peach, apple, blackberry, or plum cobbler is prepared the same way and is equally as good. The batter takes less than five minutes to prepare. Waiting for the cobbler to bake … well, the longer the better. Sitting around the fire with good friends while smelling the cobbler bake is the second best thing about this recipe. It takes about nine good stories of cook time to complete.
This recipe, though a commonly used recipe, was shared with us from W.A. Horton, a retired lawman from Texas. It was passed down from his family for several generations. It can as easily be made in the deer camp or in your back yard and be a success every time.
We used a 12-inch cast iron Dutch oven over charcoal briquettes. Coals from a wood burned campfire can also be used.
Ingredients:
1 stick butter
2 cups all purpose flour
2 Tbsp baking powder
2 cups sugar
2 cups milk
2 cans fruit (we used 4), or fresh fruit in season
Cinnamon to garnish
Instructions:
Allow charcoal briquettes to burn until they turn gray or white (about 20 minutes). Move about 15 briquettes to a flat area and arrange them equally spaced in a 12 inch circle. Set Dutch oven on top of the briquettes and heat the oven. Add the stick of butter and allow it to melt.
Mix flour, baking powder, and sugar in a bowl. Add milk and mix well. Once the butter is melted, pour the mixture into the oven. Add the canned or fresh fruit on top of the batter. Cover with the lid and place about 12 to 14 briquettes evenly spaced on top of the lid. I know this sounds a little backwards, and I can’t explain why it works, but it does. Sit back and trust the process. When the cobbler is done, the batter will be on top of the fruit and baked to a golden brown, and the fruit juices bubbling below.
Check the cobbler after a few minutes of baking. If it is getting too brown too quickly, remove a few briquettes from the lid. It should take from 30 to 50 minutes to bake. A smaller diameter Dutch oven will add cook time.
Served sprinkled with cinnamon and a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
