Cast Iron Skillet Big Flavors (28 page)

½ teaspoon salt

Coconut Pecan Frosting (recipe follows)

 coconut pecan frosting 

MAKES 1½ CUPS

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  Preheat the broiler.

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  Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Spoon the mixture over the cake and spread carefully and evenly. Place the cake under the broiler until the topping starts to bubble and the coconut starts to brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

⅓ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup shredded, sweetened coconut

½ cup coarsely chopped pecans

2 tablespoons milk

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

skillet chocolate pudding cake

This old-fashioned dessert will please all chocolate lovers. A combination of pudding and cake, it makes its own sauce. After baking, let the cake rest for ten minutes before serving, or make ahead of time and when you are ready to serve, warm it on the stove top over low heat.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

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  Preheat the oven to 375°F.

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  Put the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl and stir until well blended. Add the half-and-half, melted butter, and vanilla. Mix until a stiff batter forms. Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet in the oven to heat for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven. Swirl the butter in the warm skillet to coat it fairly evenly. Pour the batter into the skillet, and don’t worry if it is a bit uneven.

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  Meanwhile, combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Pour over the batter. Don’t stir. Bake until the cake is firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Serve warm topped with whipped cream.

1 cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup sugar

½ cup unsweetened cocoa

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup half-and-half

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1½ cups water

1½ cups sugar

Whipped cream, for serving

peach blueberry cornmeal cobbler

We have adapted a recipe given to us by Jude Russell, chef/instructor for Metropolitan Markets in Seattle. This delicious summer cobbler can be served for brunch or dessert.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

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  Preheat the oven to 375°F.

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  In a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat, melt the butter with ¾ cup of the brown sugar. Stir until the sugar is melted, then stir in the blueberries and peaches and remove from the heat.

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  In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt.

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  In the electric mixer bowl, beat the eggs and the remaining brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the melted butter and vanilla. Fold in the cornmeal and flour mixture until well combined.

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  Spoon the batter over the fruit mixture in the skillet and smooth out the top with a spatula. Bake until the cake springs back when touched, 30 to 40 minutes. Serve warm, topped with the whipped cream.

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1½ cups light brown sugar, divided

2 cups blueberries

3 cups sliced peaches or nectarines

½ cup yellow cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

3 large eggs, at room temperature

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Lightly sweetened whipped cream, for topping

roasted pears with double chocolate fudge sauce

This dessert bakes to perfection in the cast iron skillet because it cooks the pears so evenly. If you need a quick and easy dessert, this works well. You can also use caramel sauce, or offer guests a choice.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

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  Preheat the oven to 375°F.

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  Cut the pears in half lengthwise. Do not peel. With a melon baller, remove the center core, leaving a small cavity. Cut a slice off the underside so the fruit will be stable when laid with the cavity facing up. Place the pears in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Put 1 teaspoon each of butter and sugar in each cavity. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and Double Chocolate Fudge Sauce.

3 Bartlett pears, ripe but still firm

6 teaspoons unsalted butter

6 teaspoons brown sugar

Vanilla ice cream

Double Chocolate Fudge Sauce (recipe follows)

 double chocolate fudge sauce 

This is a favorite recipe from our good friends Sally and Larry Brown. Delectable with roasted pears, it’s also terrific over roasted bananas—or vanilla ice cream. We also like it for dipping strawberries.

MAKES 2 CUPS

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  Combine the sugar, cocoa, cream, and corn syrup in a heavy saucepan. Slowly bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring often.

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  Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate and butter, stirring until melted and smooth. Stir in the vanilla.

⅔ cup sugar

½ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa

¾ cup heavy cream

½ cup light corn syrup

4 ounces unsweetened dark chocolate, chopped

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

spicy apple cake

The best recipes are your friends’ favorites. Our good friend Gretchen Mathers gave us this recipe many years ago, and it’s become one of our favorite recipes for fall, when fresh apples are abundant and sweet spices warm us on chilly days. This cake is fast and easy to make—no laborious apple peeling—and it needs no frosting; it is moist and scrumptious all on its own. Serve it plain for brunch or as a dessert topped with vanilla ice cream and warm caramel sauce.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

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  Preheat the oven to 325°F.

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  In a large bowl, combine the apples and sugar. Let sit for one hour. In a small bowl, soak the raisins in the rum. Meanwhile, butter a 10-inch cast iron skillet.