Coleman Camp Oven

Biscuits ready to go in the oven

I’ve been looking for a light-weight alternative to my Dutch oven. I have a reflector oven that works great when you have a big fire, but I also wanted to try a Coleman Camp Oven that sits on a stove.

Like the reflector oven, the Coleman Camp Oven is an aluminum box that folds flat for easy storage. Unlike a reflector oven that uses heat reflected from an open fire, the camp oven sits on a camp stove burner and uses convection (heat circulating in the box) and radiant heat (absorbed by the box and radiated back) to cook/bake food much like a conventional oven.

Cornbread coming out of the oven

Unfolding the oven is as easy as opening a box. It has built in latches that you use to attach the top, bottom and sides together. It comes with a steel baking rack that can be set at three different heights.

There is a thermometer on the door that you can use to track the oven temperature. Many people say the door thermometer is inaccurate and rely on an oven thermometer or heat probe instead. When I used mine, the door thermometer seemed fine.

Bakewell Cream Biscuits

Because the oven is single-skinned, it can lose a lot of heat to the surrounding air - especially in cold weather. To combat this you can seal any openings with fire resistant aluminum tape, cover the top with aluminum foil, or wrap the outside with a fire resistant cover to trap the heat.

Another issue with the thin metal skin is that heat radiates unevenly inside the stove. Some users place a heat sink (bricks, pizza stone, cast iron press) in the bottom of the stove to better radiate heat. Lugging around something to serve as a heat sink does eliminate one of the great benefits of the oven – its relatively light weight.

Jiffy cornbread

The oven is designed to sit on a two burner Coleman stove, but any stove that will support its 12” x 12” base will work fine. I used a single burner Coleman Powerpack and it worked great. It was able to maintain consistant temperature even with a low flame. Backpacking stoves are too small to support the oven.

When cooking outside you need to provide a wind screen to provide protection from the wind. Cold temperatures will also increase heat loss from the oven and reduce the efficiency of propane stoves. The manual recommends using 8” round or square pans to allow for good air circulation inside the stove.

Yeasted dinner rolls

I gave my oven a try with biscuits (Bakewell Cream of course), cornbread (Jiffy mix from the box) and yeasted dinner rolls. All three were baked in an 8” round pan with the rack in the middle. The thermometer seemed accurate. I started the biscuits at 450, and turned them down to 325-350 after 5-minutes. I baked the cornbread and dinner rolls at around 325-350. I didn’t really track time. When the sides started to brown I took them out to avoid burning the bottom. They all baked fine but didn’t brown on the top – even the dinner rolls that I topped with butter before baking.

Overall, it is a nice little oven. It will be a nice addition when I already have a large stove along, or when fires aren't allowed. It works great to keep things warm, to cook casseroles, to roast meats, or to bake biscuits, cookies, breads or cakes. Not sure it will replace my Dutch oven though.

p.s.- I've now also tried the camp oven with cinnamon rolls in an 8" pan. It was a warm day with good yeast, so the rose really high. I kept the temperature around 250 on the door thermometer, and rotated the pan frequently. If it got too hot, I turned off the burner or opened the door. They cooked for about an hour.

Cinnamon Rolls

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Coleman Camp Oven

Reflector Oven

Get the flames going

I love bringing my Dutch Oven along when camping. It is great for baking just about anything, but it is a pain to lug around. I've always thought that a reflector oven would be lot easier on trips where weight is an issue.

When we went to the Allagash in the Fall, a friend brought his reflector oven, so I got to practice with him. We made baked peaches with cinnamon and sugar (worked great), pork lion (baked while the rest of dinner was cooking, but did need to be finished in the frying pan), and cinnamon rolls (let them go just a little too long, but they came out OK).

Cinnamon rolls 

A reflector oven is basically an aluminum box with one side open to capture radiant heat provided by an open fire. Mine is the Svante Freden from Sweden. The oven folds flat for easy storage. The food to be baked is placed on the shelf in the oven. The amount of energy captured by the oven depends on the temperature of the fire and the oven’s distance from the fire.

The real trick of cooking in a reflector oven is controlling the fire. You need a good, hot fire with lots of flames. The best fire for the reflector is a log-cabin or teepee built to the height of the oven’s cooking shelf so that the flames are above the food. Be sure to have lots of dry wood on hand, as you will need to keep those steady flames going for the entire time you are baking. You can also take well-burning logs and stand them on end.

Letting the flames do the work

You can estimate the temperature by holding your hand just in front of the oven. If you can hold it there for around 5 seconds, the oven temperature is around 350 degrees. If the cooking temperature seems too hot or too cold, you can move the oven backward or forward to adjust it. Start with the oven about 8" from the fire.

The slanting top and bottom of the reflector direct the heat from the fire toward the food being cooked. The temperature is hotter at the back and at the front, so you need to rotate the pan frequently to prevent hot spots and allow for even baking.

The whole meal is cooking -
reflector oven, Big Daddy
skillet and Dutch oven

You need to be very careful working around an open fire, and because you are cooking with radiant heat, the oven and pan will get ripping hot. It’s a good idea to bring oven mitts for protection.

What can you bake in a reflector oven? The short answer is just about anything - breads, biscuits, cookies, brownies all work fine. With time and patience, you can even do casseroles and roasted meats.

Bannock (Gil Gilpatrick's "Canoe Country Bread" recipe)

4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
4 tsps baking powder
3 tsps salt
Few table spoons of water

Mix ingredients with a few tablespoons water. Bake until bread rises, is browned, crust is stiff when tapped, and knife blade inserted into bread comes out clean. It can be baked in a fry pan with a little oil, on a stick, or in a reflector oven. 

Biscuits

3 cups flour
6 tablespoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons oil
1 cup milk

Mix ingredients. Roll on a flat, flour-covered surface. Cut out biscuits and place in baking pan. Bake until browned and stiff, and knife blade inserted into biscuits comes out clean.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2½ cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
¾ cup white sugar
1 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder. Mix well, set aside. In separate bowl, blend sugars well. Add butter, beat to form grainy paste. Add eggs, vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture, chocolate chips. Blend until just combined. Drop by spoonfuls onto pan. Bake until edges just start to brown. You can also use prepared cookie dough.

Brownies

1 cup sugar
½ cup shortening
2 eggs
½ cup flour
2 squares melted baking chocolate
½ teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt

Mix ingredients well. Pour into greased 8-inch square pan. Bake until knife inserted into brownies comes out clean. You can also use a store bought brownie mix.

Muffins/Quick Breads

Store-bought muffins or quick breads bake fine in a reflector oven. 

Dutch Oven Cooking

For many, cooking is one of the pleasures of hanging out in camp – especially with a large group. Having a Dutch oven is like bringing your kitchen along. You can create virtually any food in camp that you can make at home.

The Dutch oven is a heavy, flat-bottomed kettle with a lid, legs, and wire handle. Traditional Dutch ovens are made of thick cast iron which absorbs heat, retains it, and distributes it evenly over the inside surface. It was designed to cook complete one-pot meals over an open fire. The legs allow you to set the pot over coals, and the lid allows you to add coals to the top for even, all-around heat. Here are some of the things you can do with a Dutch oven:

• Simmer, boil, steam - a Dutch oven is just a heavy-duty pot with a lid, so any thing you can do in a typical pot you can do in a Dutch oven. Think: simmering soups, steaming rice, boiling water for pasta.
• Sear, pan-fry, sauté, deep fry - a Dutch oven is also a great stand-in for a cast-iron skillet. You can place it on the grill grate or settle it into the coals on its legs to sear steaks, brown chicken thighs, sauté vegetables, or deep fry French fries.
• Bake - the real advantage of a Dutch oven is its ability to function like an oven. By placing hot coals on the lid and underneath the body, the interior of the Dutch oven is heated equally. This allows you to bake just about anything, which is what I use if for most.
• Braise - similar to baking, braising requires dual-direction heat. The food is cooked in a small amount of liquid which is trapped by the lid creating a moist, “low and slow” cooking environment.

For my 10" Dutch oven, 24 charcoal briquettes (1/3 below, 2/3 on lid) produces a temperature of around 350 degrees for baking. You probably won't be see a Dutch oven on a backpacking trip, but for canoe camping you’ll be glad you brought one along. Here are a few of my favorite recipes.

Henry making Dump Cake

Henry’s Blueberry “Dump Cake”

Two cans of blueberry pie filling
One box of white or yellow cake mix
One can of lemon/lime soda

This was the first recipe that I tried in my Dutch oven, and one of the easiest. Line the Dutch oven with foil and spray with cooking spray. Add the two cans of pie filling into the bottom of the Dutch oven. Next, sprinkle the cake mix over the pie filling in an even layer. Finally, pour the lemon/lime soda over the cake mix. At this point you have a decision to make – to stir or not to stir. If you stir the soda into the cake mix, your dump cake will cook with the consistency of a cake. If you don’t stir, it will cook with the consistency of a cobbler. Set the Dutch oven over coals or charcoal with 1/3 of the coals below, and 2/3 of the coals on the lid (most of the heat should be on the lid). Cook for around 30 minutes turning frequently to prevent hot spots. You can experiment with different canned or fresh fruits.

Blueberry Breakfast Bake

Blueberry Breakfast Bake

1-cup milk
4 eggs
1/4-cup sour cream
1/2-cup sugar
1/4-teaspoon cinnamon
1/4-teaspoon vanilla
1-cup fresh blueberries
8 slices of bread
Mable syrup - optional

Line the Dutch oven with foil and spray with cooking spray. Mix the milk, eggs, sour cream, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla together and store in a sealable travel container. This can be kept in your cooler until your ready to make breakfast. Cut the bread into cubes and place in the Dutch oven with the fresh blueberries. Pour the milk/egg mixture over the top and mix until the bread and blueberries are coated. Set the Dutch oven over coals or charcoal with 1/3 of the coals below, and 2/3 of the coals on the lid (most of the heat should be on the lid). Cook for around 30 minutes, turning frequently to prevent hot spots. This breakfast is nice and sweet on its own, but I like it with a little maple syrup on top. You can replace the blueberries with other fresh, frozen or canned fruit.

Blueberry Bake with Dan's Peach Sauce

Dan’s Peach Sauce

Fresh peaches

Couple tablespoons Butter

Couple of tablespoons Sugar

Dice the peaches. Place in pan with butter and sugar. Place over low heat until the peaches soften and release their juices and the butter and sugar combine to create a thick sauce.  Dan cooked this with fresh peaches to top our Blueberry Breakfast Bake on one of our Allagash trips. You can do it with other fresh, frozen or caned fruit.

Frittata for breakfast

Potato and Cheese Frittata (with whatever else you want to add)

1 package frozen home fries

6-8 eggs

2 cups cheese (pick your favorite)

Other fillings can include chopped onions, peppers, mushrooms, ham, bacon or sausage

Line the Dutch oven with foil and spray with cooking spray. In separate pan, cook frozen home fries until browned and add to the bottom of the Dutch oven. Saute other fillings and add to the Dutch oven. Sprinkle with 3/4 of the cheese. Whisk the eggs and add to the Dutch oven, swirling to make sure it is even distributed. Top with remaining cheese. Set the Dutch oven over coals or charcoal with 1/3 of the coals below, and 2/3 of the coals on the lid (most of the heat should be on the lid). Cook for around 30 minutes, turning frequently to prevent hot spots.

Lasagna with onions and peppers

Lasagna

1 package no-boil lasagna noodles
15 oz ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 cups mozzarella cheese
28 oz jar of sauce (a little more is better)
Other fillings can include chopped onions, chopped peppers, chopped mushrooms, ground beef or chopped Italian sausage

Mix the ricotta cheese, egg, and parmesan cheese together and set aside (you can do this in advance and store in your cooler in a zip-lock plastic bag). In a separate pan saute the other fillings (you can also do this in advance and store in a plastic zip-lock bag in your cooler). Line the Dutch oven with foil and spray with cooking spray. Add a small amount of sauce to the bottom of the Dutch oven - enough to coat. Break the lasagna noodles to form a single layer in the Dutch oven (it doesn't have to be perfect, the noodles will expand as they cook). Layer half the ricotta cheese mixture, half the fillings, a third of the mozzarella cheese and a third of the sauce. Repeat for a second layer. Top with a last layer of noodles and the remaining sauce and cheese. Set the Dutch oven over coals or charcoal with 1/3 of the coals below, and 2/3 of the coals on the lid (most of the heat should be on the lid). Cook for around an hour, turning frequently to prevent hot spots. You may need to add more coals if it loses heat.

Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti

16 oz box of ziti

4 cups water

28 oz jar of sauce

8 oz ricotta cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (if you have it)

2 cups (one package) grated mozzarella cheese

Other fillings can include chopped onions, chopped peppers, chopped mushrooms, ground beef or chopped Italian sausage

Mix the water, sauce, ricotta and parmesan cheese together and set aside (you can do this in advance and store in your cooler in a sealable travel container). Place the Dutch oven in the coals and sauté the fillings (you can also do this in advance and store in a plastic zip-lock bag in your cooler). Add the liquid mixture and bring to a low boil. Add the uncooked ziti and cook, stirring frequently until the pasta is cooked and the liquid has been absorbed. Remove Dutch oven from the coals and top with mozzarella cheese. Place the cover and coals on the top and bake until cheese is melted and golden brown - 30 to 45 minutes.

Cinnamon Rolls

Yeast Breads – Cinnamon Rolls

The easiest way to make yeast breads in camp is to make the dough in advance (night for cinnamon rolls and morning for dinner rolls) and let the dough do its first rise in the cooler. Or make the dough at home and keep it in a ziplock bag in the cooler until you need it. When you are ready to bake, take out the dough that you need, shape and let it do its second rise, and bake. Here is my grandmother’s recipe for cinnamon rolls.

For dough:
1 package dry active yeast
4 cups flour
¾ cup of sugar
1 cup milk
One stick butter
Dash of salt
2 large eggs

The rolls are ready

In a bowl, mix flour with yeast. Warm milk, butter, salt and sugar in pan until butter is melted and sugar dissolved. In separate bowl whisk egg. Whisking constantly, slowly add milk mixture to the eggs. Add liquid to dry ingredients to form a dough and knead until smooth – 6 to 8 minutes. Spray a plastic bag with vegetable spray and store in cooler.

For filling:
½ cup brown sugar
¾ cup sugar (1/2 cup for filling, ¼ cup for dipping)
2-3 tablespoons of cinnamon
One stick butter (6 tablespoons for filling, 2 tablespoons for dipping)

When ready to use, line the Dutch oven with foil and spray with cooking spray. Punch down dough, divide in half and roll into a 5” by 12” square. Melt butter and spread 6 tablespoons on the dough. Top with mixture of brown sugar, ½ cup sugar and cinnamon. Roll into a log from the short side, and cut into 5 1" pieces. Dip in remaining butter and remaining sugar and place in Dutch oven sugar side up. Allow to rise while the charcoal fires and reaches a grey coating of ash. Set the Dutch oven over coals or charcoal with 1/3 of the coals below, and 2/3 of the coals on the lid (most of the heat should be on the lid). Cook for around 30 minutes, turning frequently to prevent hot spots.

This recipe will make 10 large cinnamon rolls, but you can bake them half at a time with the remaining dough staying in the cooler. In cold weather you will need to warm the Dutch oven in advance.

Yeast Bread – Dinner Rolls

This dough can also be modified for dinner rolls

1 package dry active yeast
4 cups flour
1/3 cup of honey
1 cup milk
6 tablespoons butter
Dash of salt
1 large egg

In a bowl, mix flour with yeast. Warm milk, butter, salt and honey in pan until butter is melted and honey is dissolved. In separate bowl whisk egg. Whisking constantly, slowly add milk mixture to the eggs. Add liquid to dry ingredients to form a dough and knead until smooth – 6 to 8 minutes. Spray a plastic bag with vegetable spray and store in cooler.

When ready to use, line the Dutch oven with foil and spray with cooking spray. Punch down dough and form into ball. Divide and shape into balls, pulling down the sides, pinching the bottom, and setting in Dutch oven just touching, seam side down. Allow to rise while the charcoal fires and reaches a grey coating of ash. Set the Dutch oven over coals or charcoal with 1/3 of the coals below, and 2/3 of the coals on the lid (most of the heat should be on the lid). Cook for around 30 minutes, turning frequently to prevent hot spots.

This recipe will make 16 dinner rolls, but you can bake them half at a time with the remaining dough staying in the cooler. I have also done half as dinner rolls and half as cinnamon rolls.

Dough pressed out in the Dutch oven

Yeast Bread - Pizza

For the dough :

3 cups bread flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 ½ teaspoon salt

Package of dry active yeast

1 1/3 cup water

1 tablespoon olive/vegetable oil

In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Add water and oil to dry ingredients to form a dough and knead until smooth – 6 to 8 minutes. Spray a plastic bag with vegetable spray and store in cooler. Dough can stored in the cooler for several days.

Pizza out of the Dutch oven

For the sauce and toppings:

Tomato Sauce

Mozzarella cheese

Peperoni, onions, pepper or whatever toppings you want to use.

When ready to use, line the Dutch oven with foil and spray with cooking spray. Punch down dough, divide in half and knead until smooth. Stretch out the dough in a circle and place in Dutch oven, pressing out until you have a thin layer across the bottom out to the sides. Top with tomato sauce, cheese and whatever topping you want to use. Set the Dutch oven over coals or charcoal with 1/3 of the coals below, and 2/3 of the coals on the lid (most of the heat should be on the lid). Cook for around 30 minutes, turning frequently to prevent hot spots. Makes two pizzas, or one loaf of bread. Top bread with olive oil and rosemary. 

Biscuits baking in a Campers Kitchen

Bakewell Cream Biscuits

Bob Latshaw told me that one of the questions on his Registered Maine Guide test was how to make biscuits. The correct answer - with the Original Bakewell Cream.  Here is the recipe from Lisa DeHart and 3-Minutes with a Maine Guide.

4 cups flour

4 tsp Original Bakewell Cream

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

½ cup (8 tbsp) shortening (or butter)

1 ½ cups milk (powdered milk is fine)

Best strawberry shortcake ever!

Mix dry ingredients and cut-in shortening (food processor does this quick, or freeze and grate). Place in ziplock bag. Place powdered milk in small ziplock bag -  they can be stored together. In camp, add water to powdered milk and add to biscuit mix to make dough. Knead lightly - do not over knead as it makes the biscuits tough. Cut into biscuits and set in the Dutch oven, coating the top with melted butter. Set the Dutch oven over coals or charcoal with 1/3 of the coals below, and 2/3 of the coals on the lid (most of the heat should be on the lid). Cook for around 30 minutes, turning frequently to prevent hot spots.

Bakewell Cream Cinnamon Rolls

Bakewell Cream biscuit mix (you can also use 2 cans of Pillsbury biscuits) 

1 stick (8 tbsp) melted butter

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

3 tbsp ground cinnamon

Add sugars and cinnamon to melted butter to make a paste. Place in ziploc bag. In camp, roll out biscuit dough in a rectangle. Cover with sugar/cinnamon paste. Roll up in a log and cut in 2” pieces. and set in the Dutch oven, coating the top with melted butter and sugar. Set the Dutch oven over coals or charcoal with 1/3 of the coals below, and 2/3 of the coals on the lid (most of the heat should be on the lid). Cook for around 30 minutes, turning frequently to prevent hot spots.

Monkey Bread

Bakewell cream biscuit mix (you can also use 2 rolls of Pillsbury biscuits) 

½ cup sugar

½ cup brown sugar

3 tbsp cinnamon

1 stick (8 tbsp) melted butter

Line the Dutch oven with foil and spray with cooking spray. In camp, roll out biscuit dough and cut into small pieces. Mix sugars and cinnamon in plastic bag. Drop each piece into the sugar and shake to coat well. Place the coated biscuit pieces in the Dutch oven. In a separate pan, melt the butter and pour over biscuits. Set the Dutch oven over coals or charcoal with 1/3 of the coals below, and 2/3 of the coals on the lid (most of the heat should be on the lid). Cook for around 30 minutes, turning frequently to prevent hot spots.

Brownies

One box Brownie mix

Oil, eggs and water as called for by the mix

You could make your own, but it is easier to use a mix. I mix the wet ingredients together in advance according to the package directions and store in a sealable travel container in the cooler. When it is time to cook the brownies, line the Dutch oven with foil and spray with cooking spray. Mix the brownie mix with the wet ingredient and pour into Dutch oven. Set the Dutch oven over coals or charcoal with 1/3 of the coals below, and 2/3 of the coals on the lid (most of the heat should be on the lid). Cook for around 30 minutes, turning frequently to prevent hot spots. You can also mix in nuts, chocolate bits, M&M's or mini marshmallows. If you don't have your Dutch oven you can also use wet heat.

Scalloped Potatoes

8 potatoes

1 onion

3 cups milk – made from powder

3 tbsp butter

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Line the Dutch oven with foil and spray with cooking spray.  Combine flour, salt and pepper and set aside. Mix milk and set aside. Slice potatoes into thin slices and chop onion. Put a thin layer of potatoes and onion in the bottom of the Dutch oven. Sprinkle a spoonful of the flour mixture over the potatoes. Alternate layers of potatoes, onions and flour mixture. Add milk until the liquid is ½ inch below the surface of the potatoes.  Sprinkle butter around the edges of the pan. The butter will combine with the milk and flour to make a thick, creamy sauce. Set the Dutch oven over coals or charcoal with 1/3 of the coals below, and 2/3 of the coals on the lid (most of the heat should be on the lid). Cook for around 60 minutes turning frequently to prevent hot spots. 

Deep frying French Fries

French Fries

French Fries (fresh cut or frozen)

Oil to cover

Add oil to the Dutch oven and settle down in the coals. Once the oil reaches 350 degrees add the French Fries, stirring occasionally until they are evenly browned. It is helpful to have a thermometer to monitor the oil temperature. A Therma Pro meat thermometer works fine, as would an infrared temperature gun. Dealing with the oil after cooking is kind of a pain. We poured it back in the bottle and took it home with us. You could also re-use it on the trip to fry other stuff.

Apple Crisp

Apple Crisp

8-10 Granny Smith Apples (dehydrated)

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

Dash of Nutmeg

For topping:

¾ cup of Flour

½ cup Brown Sugar

½ cup Granulated Sugar

1 stick of Butter

Peel and core the Granny Smith Apples and cut into ½ inch slices for dehydrating. To rehydrate apples, add 2 cups boiling water and let sit for at least an hour. To make the topping, combine flour, brown sugar and sugar.  Cut in butter until the mixture is crumbly and the size of small peas. Topping can be made in advance and stored in a zip-lock bag in the cooler. 

Line the Dutch oven with foil and spray with cooking spray. Add the apples with any remaining liquid (should be about 1/2 cup), cinnamon and nutmeg. Sprinkle topping over apples. Set the Dutch oven over coals or charcoal with 1/3 of the coals below, and 2/3 of the coals on the lid (most of the heat should be on the lid). Cook for around 45 minutes, turning frequently to prevent hot spots. Let cool for around 15 minutes before serving. Tasty on its own, but even better with whipped cream. 

If making with fresh apples, peal and slice apples as above, add 1/2 cup of water to the apples with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and top as above.

Baking with Steam

What you need

I’m always looking for different ways to cook in camp. I love to make baked goods, but lugging the Dutch oven along can be a pain. I saw an ad on Facebook for the Can Cooker, and it intrigued me, so I thought I would give it a try. This method can be used to bake on the stove (or fire) using moist heat/steam.

When you bake a cake in the oven (or Dutch oven), dry heat surrounds the cake. The water contained in the batter evaporates, creating steam that helps the cake rise before it sets and gets firmer. While steam does play a role in baking in dry heat, the results are much different when it acts as the main cooking method.

Covered cake pan on the rack

Steaming a cake on the stove relies on moist heat. Using a double boiler of sorts, you elevate the pan on a rack above steaming water inside large, lidded pot. Steam creates the heat that gently cooks the cake. Because the moist environment prevents the water in the batter from quickly evaporating, less water is lost in the cooking process, resulting in a moister cake. Since baking with steam is done at a lower temperature (212 degrees for steam vs. 350 degrees in a dry oven), the cake will not brown.

Even at a lower temperature, though, steam will cook the cake faster than dry heat since it transfers heat more efficiently than air. Steaming a cake will take between 20 and 25 minutes, while dry baking it at 350 degrees will take 30 to 40 minutes.

Closed up for baking -
the frying pan on the top is just
there for weight

This method works for cakes, quick breads and brownies. You could also use it for a main dish like meatloaf or steamed fish and vegetables - just increase the cooking time. What will you need:

• Stove with the ability to hold a pan of water at a low boil. If you are careful, you could do it on the fire, but maintaining the proper temperature might be tough.
• Set of nesting pans - the larger must have a tight fitting cover.
• A rack to raise the inner pan out of the water like a double boiler. In camp you could improvise - couple of small rocks would work fine.
• Cooking spray.
• Wax paper to line the bottom of the cake pan
• Aluminum foil to cover the inner pan

The finished corn bread in the pan

Here's how you do it:

1. Fire up your stove
2. Place the rack in the large pan and add enough water so that it is just below the rack. Cover, put the pan on the stove, and bring the water to a boil.
3. While waiting for the water to boil, mix up the batter for whatever it is that you want to bake. Spray the inside of the smaller pan with cooking spray and add the batter. (Lining the bottom with wax paper will help the cake release easier from the pan when cooked.) Cover the top tightly with aluminum foil to prevent water from condensing onto the food and making it soggy.
4. Once the water boils, reduce to a low boil and put the smaller pan on the rack inside the larger pan. Replace the cover and don’t remove for 20 to 25 minutes. You want just enough steam in the pan to cook the cake. 

The finished corn bread removed 

The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it rest a few minutes before releasing the sides and removing from the pan. 

I'd definitely call this experiment a success. The key is to cover the inner pan with foil to prevent condensed water from dripping on to the cake and making it rubbery. These pictures are Jiffy Mix cornbread, which came out perfect - just add chili for a great dinner.

Jonathan’s Campfire Cooking

We all have our favorite campfire recipes. When you camp with Jonathan you will always get Fried Fish with Maine Guide Potatoes for dinner, and Egg-in-a-Hole for breakfast. I have now seen him cook it enough to know how it is done. Simple and tasty – the perfect camp food, and always cooked on the fire.

Jonathan working his magic

Fried Fish

Olive oil (can use cooking oil or butter)
Haddock fillets (can also use Cod or other white fish)
Bread crumbs

Cut fish into serving size pieces. Coat in bread crumbs. Heat oil in frying pan. Add fish and cook for a couple of minutes undisturbed to let the first side develop a nice crust. Flip and cook until a nice crust develops on second side. Serve immediately with Maine Guide Potatoes and salad.

Fried Fish and Maine Guide Potatoes

Maine Guide Potatoes

Baby Yukon Gold or Red Bliss potatoes
Couple of onions
Squeeze margarine (or butter)

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Quarter potatoes. Cut onions in large pieces. Add potatoes and onions and cook until tender. Drain and serve with squeeze margarine (or butter). Left-overs become home fries the next morning.

Egg-in-a-Hole and Sausage

Egg-in-a-Hole

Olive oil (can use cooking oil or butter)
Hearty White Bread (like Country Kitchen Hearty Canadian White or Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse White)
Eggs

Coat frying pan lightly with oil. Tear a hole in the middle of the bread for the egg – save and toast as you cook. Add the bread to the pan and crack one egg into the hole. Once the egg is set, flip and toast the other side. Serve with home fries from left-over Maine Guide Potatoes, lots of bacon, and a fried tomato for the full “Jonathan” breakfast.

Campfire Cooking

When I was in second grade my father took a job up in New Hampshire. We lived in a small apartment in the city of Dover, and spent most of the summer at a seasonal campsite nearby. I remember swimming in the lake and sitting around the campfire at night, but other than marshmallows and the occasional hot dog on a stick, cooking was always done on the camp stove. 

Omelets on the stove

When I started canoe camping the camp stove came with me. For some trips freeze-dried food cooked with a Jet Boil stove was the order of the day. For other trips we loaded up coolers with fresh food, but when I was the chef the cooking was always done on the camp stove.

For some of my friends, though, cooking in camp means cooking over an open fire. Jonathan is a good example. He will often look at the simple fire ring that is the staple at many campsites with a bit of disgust. If he is planning to cook on the fire, he will deconstruct old fire ring and rebuild it in a “U” shape about 8” to 10” tall and just wide enough to support the grill. 

Sausage and foil-pack potatoes

When a campfire cook has passed through a campsite you can always tell by the fire pit. The pit will be clear of ash and debris allowing ample room for wood under the grill. If it is round, it will be large with multiple cooking spots depending on the type of cooking to be done and the heat needed. Or like Jonathan’s, it will be “U” shaped.

I’ve leaned that a critical part of campfire cooking is having the right wood. Firewood should be collected selectively to leave the site and scenery as undisturbed as possible. Softwoods are usually the easiest to find and burn the fastest. Hardwoods produce a cleaner, longer lasting fire and better coals.  

Cooking on the Big Daddy

Anything you can cook on the stove you can cook on the fire, but it takes the right equipment and some patience. The most important part of the cooking fire is the height of the grill – too low and it will be tough to get wood underneath, too high and it will take a lot of wood to produce enough heat. A grill grate at 8” to 10” seems to work best. 

You will also need pots, pans and utensils. A good frying pan and large pot are essential for group meals. For cooking, keep the fire contained under the pots and pans. You will also need a knife, spatula, serving spoon and tongs. Long handles make it easy to work around the fire, and fireproof gloves are a nice addition.

Grilling salmon and vegetables

The type of fire that you build will depend on the type of cooking you are doing. Grilling directly over the fire requires a nice bed of hot coals, so get the fire going early or you might be eating late. Foil packs are an easy way to cook fish, potatoes and vegetables, but are also easier on a well-developed bed of coals. Be sure to turn the food often since hot spots can develop and burn the food if you are not careful. 

Cooking in pans is easier, and you can cook directly over the fire without having to wait for coals. Shift the pans around to get the heat that you need and prevent hot spots. Patience is still required since temperatures on the fire don’t match those generated on the stove. 

Dutch oven cooking

The dutch oven is one of my favorite ways to cook in camp. Anything you can cook in your oven at home you can cook in a dutch oven - frittata or cinnamon rolls for breakfast; enchiladas, lasagna or chicken and biscuits for dinner; monkey bread, brownies or dump cake for desert. The trick to cooking in a dutch oven is balancing the heat on the top and the bottom, and regulating the temperature. Regulating the temperature is much easier with charcoal than with coals from the fire, so I usually bring it long. 

No doubt about it, cooking is one of the joys of camping, and cooking over the open fire takes it to the next level.

Breakfast fire

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