Throwback Thursday: How many servings will a 12-inch Dutch oven deliver?

This article was originally posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008.

The topic of catering large groups often surfaces on Dutch oven discussion boards, like the IDOS forum and Camp-cook.com. Conversation rarely centers on the business side catering. It's the culinary side of feeding large groups that draws most of the attention. Questions about menus, portion sizes, amount to prepare and equipment are among the most common.

The last discussion that I joined in on began with a question from a Dutch oven group in Porterville, California. Dutchin' Dave, a member of the Sequoia Dutch Ovens, asked this question at Camp-cook.com:

Got a problem. We've been asked to do cobbler for 300 folks at a fancy fundraising dinner for our Cancer Camp for children. We're thrilled to do it, but the problem stems from the fact that the majority of our Sequoia Dutch Ovens chapter is already committed to another function and there will only be 4-5 of us left. Under the circumstances, it's going to be critical that our operation run as efficiently and streamlined as possible. We need to figure out how many ovens these 4-5 cooks are going to have to manage and so we need to calculate pretty closely how many servings we can get out of an oven.

Dave went on to explain his thought process on the issue. Even though he knows how many servings can be served from a 12-inch regular Dutch oven ("6-18 servings of a 'main dish' or 'to 30' servings of a 'side dish'"), he recognized that the number of servings per pot depends upon the portion size.

He planned to prepare one recipe in a 12-inch Dutch oven and scoop the cobbler out in 2- to 3-ounce portions. Dave estimated that the his recipe would yield about 15 servings. The results will, of course, depend on the volume of fruit and topping in his recipe.

To feed 225 guests, Dave figures it will take 15 (12-inch) ovens. He believes "approximately 3/4 of them will want dessert." The remaining 25 percent will avoid dessert due to health concerns or personal taste, said Dave.

Number of cobbler servings per No. 12 Dutch oven
Let me answer Dave's question in two parts. I'll address his immediate cobbler question first since that's the main point of his discussion. Then in a couple days, I'll address the broader question of catering large groups out of Dutch ovens.

I always work from volume, not some generalized table of servings per Dutch oven. Most Dutch oven food is semi-liquid or semi-solid. It spoons or ladles out very well. The key is to calculate the volume each Dutch oven holds for a particular dish and divide by the serving size. That's the basic formula for determining portions per Dutch oven.

There are other factors, like toppings and the number of pieces (of meat, chicken, potatoes, etc.) in the pot. It's hard to serve 20 (1-cup) servings out a pot of pork chops and gravy when there's only 15 chops in there to begin with. Toppings will also limit the number of servings. A pot pie or cobbler that's topped with 15 biscuits will only give you 15 servings.

I like to work out of 14-inch oven when cooking for a crowd. They're lighter than 16-inch ovens and holds more than a 12-inch oven. The 14-inch is a happy medium between lugging heavy 16-inchers and having to wrestle lots and lots of 12-inch ovens. I recommend that you locate as many 14-inch ovens as possible.

I don't recommend using deep-style ovens for recipes that use a topping as a key component of the dish. Deeper ovens are best reserved for bread loaves, large cuts of meat and soups, chili and stew.

The problem with baking a cobbler or crisp in a deep-style oven is it can hold a larger ratio of filling to topping. You'll run out of topping long before the filling is gone. The people at the head of the dessert line will get all the topping.

For the cobbler, I use 2 or 3 (14-inch) Dutch ovens to serve apple crisp to 150 campers. A 14-inch regular oven holds 8 quarts full to the brim. A good working volume is about 2/3 of the oven capacity, or about 5-1/3 quarts of product. Divide that by 1/2-cup into 5-1/3 quarts and you get about 42 servings per 14-inch regular oven. I round to 40. My recipe (below) uses three 14-inch ovens to feed 100 campers.

You can get 50 servings if you push the volume to 6 quarts. Just make sure you leave enough head room for the crisp topping to brown. But remember, to get 50 (1/2-cup) servings per 14-inch oven, you need about 6-1/2 quarts crisp/cobbler in each oven. And don't forget my caution about the filling to topping ratio above.

APPLE CRISP FOR A CROWD

Dutch oven instructions are located in the notes.

FILLING
3 (#10) cans sliced apple
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2-3/4 pounds sugar
8 ounces cornstarch
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon salt

TOPPING
3 pounds brown sugar
1-1/4 pound rolled oats
1-1/4 pounds all-purpose flour
1-2/3 teaspoons baking powder
1-3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon salt
2 pounds butter, softened

Arrange 4-1/2 quarts apples in each greased 18x26-inch sheet pan. Sprinkle juice and zest over apples. Combine granulated sugar, starch, cinnamon and salt; sprinkle half over apples in each pan.

Combine brown sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and butter or margarine; blend to form a crumbly mixture. Sprinkle an equal quantity of the mixture evenly over apples in each pan.

Using a convection oven, bake at 350 deg F for 30 minutes or until top is bubbling and lightly browned on low fan, open vent. Cut each pan 6 by 9. Serve with serving spoon or spatula.

Yield: 2 sheet pans

Serving ideas: Serve 1 piece or approx 1/2-cup per portion. Acceptability is approx. 100 percent.
NOTES: Use 3 #10 cans sliced apples per 100 portions. Use two 18x26-inch sheet pans per 100 portions. Three lemons will yield 1/2-cup juice. Two pounds flour (total) may be used in place of rolled oats.

For 14-inch Dutch oven, use 1 #10 can of canned apples and a 1/3 the remaining ingredients per oven. This will yield approx 33 (1/2-cup) servings per oven.

Pie dough for a 12-inch skillet

Use this recipe for pie dough with the iron skillet apple pie in a 12-inch pan.

PIE DOUGH FOR A 12-INCH SKILLET

Keep butter and shortening in the refrigerator to ensure a flaky crust.

18 ounces all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons table salt
9 ounces unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 ounces shortening, cold
3/4 cup ice water

Place flour and salt in a mixer bowl. Using flat beater, mix flour and salt on low speed 15 seconds. Place cubed butter and shortening in bowl. Mix on low speed 1 minute, or until mixture resembles cornmeal. Some butter lumps will remain.

With mixer on low speed, gradually add ice water. Mix just until water is absorbed. Do not over work the dough. Scoop dough onto counter. Gently press into a large ball and cut in to two pieces. Flatten each piece into a rounded disk. Place the disks in a zip-top bag. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Remove dough from refrigerator. Lightly dust each piece with flour. Flatten gently. Using a floured rolling pin, roll lightly with quick strokes from center out to edge in all directions. Form a circle 13 to 14 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thick. Bottom crust will be slightly thicker. Shift or turn dough occasionally to prevent sticking. If edges split, pinch cracks together.

BOTTOM CRUST: Fold each piece of rolled dough in half. For iron skillet apple pie, proceed with instructions in the recipe. For other applications, such as chicken pot pie, carefully place in ungreased 12-inch skillet with fold at center. Unfold and fit carefully into skillet, being careful not to leave any air spaces between skillet and dough. Place contents over bottom crust, being careful not to overfill.

TOP CRUST: With top crust folded in half, make several small slits with a knife near center fold to allow steam to vent during baking. Brush outer rim of bottom crust with water. Lay top crust over filling with fold at center. Unfold and press edges of two crusts together lightly. Trim overhanging edges of dough by with a knife or spatula. Seal pie by pressing edges of crust firmly together or crimping with thumb and forefinger to make a fluted edge.

Brush top crust with 1 whisked egg. On fruit pies, sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar evenly over crust. Do not use sugar on savory pies. Bake pie as directed in recipe. Place pan under skillet to catch syrup spills. Watch skillet pie in oven as it requires longer baking than a traditional 9-inch pie. If needed, shield crust with foil sheet in last 15 to 30 minutes to prevent excessive browning.

Iron skillet apple pie in a 12-inch pan

I presented my version of the iron skillet apple pie last night to a potluck Thanksgiving dinner. The pie was baked in a large cast iron skillet. We arrived just as the last diners we filling their plates. I placed the pie among the other desserts and cut it into 12 servings.

I thought that the crust was the best part of the pie! The crisp crust, both top and bottom, complimented the soft and sweet apples. A clean skillet was all that we brought home. Word of mouth quickly brought diners to the dessert table to try a slice of pie.

Enjoy ...

Iron skillet apple pie in a 12-inch pan will feed a crowd. 

IRON SKILLET APPLE PIE IN A 12-INCH PAN

This is an enlarged version of an on-line recipe MyRecipes.com, from the September 2011 issue of Southern Living. Amounts have been adjusted to fit inside a larger cast iron skillet. I used an 11-1/2-inch Wagner skillet for the test run.

Purchase 5 large Braeburn and 5 large Granny Smith apples. Yield will be approximately 4 pounds, give or take, of apple slices after peeling, coring and slicing. You may need to prepare your own pie dough since the skillet is several inches larger than a 9-inch pie pan. Or you can use my recipe.

2-1/2 pounds Braeburn apples
2-1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups sugar
Pinch salt
6 ounces unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 pounds 4 ounces pie dough, rolled into 2 pieces
1 egg
2 tablespoons sugar

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and core apples. Cut into 1/2-inch wedges. Toss with cinnamon and 2 cups sugar. In a 12-inch cast iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add brown sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes, until sugar is dissolved. Do not caramelize. Remove from heat.

Place 1 pie crust over brown sugar mixture. Spoon apples over bottom pie crust. Top with second pie crust (with several slits cut in to vent steam). Pinch crusts to seal. Whisk egg. Brush top crust with egg wash. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over crust.

Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Place pan under skillet to catch syrup spills. Shield crust with foil sheet in last 15 to 30 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Cool before serving. Serves 12.

Camp mixed bery cobbler

I adopted this recipe from in Sunset Magazine in May 2009. The recipe was developed for use in a 12-inch camp-style Dutch oven by Chef Guy Fiere of Diners, Drive Ins and Dives fame. He "loves to make this treat on a camping adventure."

After reading the article, I figured it would make a great dessert for camp. It was a hit at the Christian Chefs International 2012 Annual Conference in Canby, Oregon, where it was showcased alongside a Dutch oven meal. Since then I've discovered campers enjoy the "rich, sweet treat."

When you prepare camp berry cobbler, a nice crunch in each bite impresses campers. The juicy berry goodness is topped with a crunchy cake-like crust. As the cobbler bakes, juices from the berries are released and absorbed by crust. Telltale pools of thickened berry juice seep through the crust. Each bite contains an impressive mix of fruit and crust.

Serve camp berry cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream and fresh whipped cream. An almond or coffee-flavored ice cream will complement the cobbler as well.

CAMP MIXED BERRY COBBLER

2 pounds all-purpose flour
1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 ounce cinnamon
1/2 ounce cloves
1/4 ounce nutmeg
1/4 ounce ground ginger
1 pound unsalted butter
2 pounds 7 ounces granulated sugar (divided use)
5 pounds frozen mixed berries

In a food processor, pulse together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger. Add butter; pulse until mixture is very fine. Add 2 pounds of the sugar and pulse to combine. If preparing topping ahead, transfer to a storage container and chill until ready to use, up to 2 days.

Place partially thawed berries in a large bowl. Stir in 7 ounces of the sugar. Pour berry mixture into greased a 12 by 20 by 2-inch hotel pan. Spoon half the cake mixture evenly over berries.

Bake cobbler in 425^o oven for about 20 minutes. Spoon on remaining flour mixture. Continue baking until topping is golden brown and berry juices are bubbling to the surface, 15 to 25 minutes more; let cool at least 20 minutes before serving.

2010 Carson City Rendezvous Dutch oven cookoff

I plan to be in Carson City on Saturday, June 12, 2010 with my chuckbox and Dutch ovens ...

Don’t Just COOK, Win!!
Compete for a chance to cook in the World Championship Cookoff!

2010 Carson City Rendezvous Dutch Oven Cookoff
June 13, 2010 - Carson City, Nevada

The Cast Iron Cooks of the West want to taste your Dutch oven creations in Carson City.

This fun ‘event within an event’ provides anyone a chance to win. Beginners have beat experienced cooks at many cook-offs in the past, so everyone has an equal chance of winning a trophy, money, and a full stomach after sampling everyone’s dishes! Contestants can be of any age; our Junior category is specifically for those under 18. Four winning teams have made it to the finals at the World Championship Dutch Oven Cookoff in Sandy, Utah!

Dutch oven cooking activities at the 2010 Carson City Rendezvous include Outdoor Dutch oven cooking classes and demonstrations on Friday and all day Saturday! Learn how to season and care for cast iron, how to cook in your Dutch oven whether camping or at home, baking sourdough bread and extravagant desserts, all taught by the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games Dutch oven Chef David Herzog.

Saturday evening will feature a D.O.G. or Dutch Oven Gathering, where everyone is invited to bring your Dutch oven(s) and your favorite recipes to share in a potluck! You don't have to be an experienced Dutch oven cook to join us Saturday evening, even if you've never cooked in a camp Dutch oven, just show up with your iron, charcoal, recipe, and ingredients and Dave will be more than happy to help you get started!

If you haven’t cooked in a cookoff before, don’t be afraid of cooking with us! We promote fun times and more fun times at our cookoffs! Beginners have beat experienced cooks at many cook-offs in the past, so everyone has an equal chance of winning a trophy, money, and a full stomach after sampling everyone’s dishes!

We are also looking for Junior contestants, 18 and younger. Any individual or group, such as schools, scouts, clubs, teams, etc. can enter as Juniors. All contestants can compete in Main Dish, Bread, and Desert categories; those over 18 can also compete in the Breakfast category.

Sunday is the big day of Dutch oven competition! There will be 2 competitions, a breakfast competition starting at 7:30 a.m. with judging at 9:00 AM and the main event starting at 10:00 a.m. with judging around 1:00 p.m. Thanks to our friends at Smith’s Food & Drug Stores and their Neighbor to Neighbor Fund for sponsoring this contest.

Visit http://www.carsoncityrendezvous.com/ or call 775.887.1294 for an application and further information. You can also register at the time of the cook off.

Past winners Rex Recheteiner and Mary Williamson encourage you to try their award-winning recipes:

DOG DISH MEATLOAF
Rex Recheteiner & Mary Williamson

1 pound hamburger
1 package stuffing mix, made according to directions
1 envelope meatloaf seasoning
1 to 2 eggs, slightly beaten
Onions, mushrooms, salt and pepper to taste

Topping
2 parts catsup
1 part brown sugar
1 part mustard

Mix ingredients together and pack into a stainless steel dog dish. Top with topping and bake at 375 degrees (17 top / 11 bottom coals) for 90 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

SOUR CREAM APPLE PIE
Rex Recheteiner & Mary Williamson

No Roll Pie Crust
1-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup corn oil
3 tablespoons cold milk

Mix all ingredients in pie plate until flour is dampened. Press in pan with fingers.

Pie Ingredients
2 tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 egg
1 c.upsour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 to 3 cups chopped apples

Mix dry ingredients together. Add egg, sour cream and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add apples. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 400 degrees (18 top / 12 bottom) for 45 minutes.

Topping Ingredients
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup softened butter

Mix together until crumbly. Sprinkle topping evenly over the pie and bake another 20 minutes with top coals only. Add necessary coals to maintain heat.

Adjourn to pie, 2-1/2 years later

I first talked about our tradition of "Adjourning to pie" to the meetings of the directors of the El Dorado Western Railway in October 2006.

Regardless of the scope of discussion or extent of disagreement, the board meeting always adjourns to pie. A slice of pie and cup of juice has a way of placing us at ease. It allows us to relax and turn our attention away from the business of running a railroad.

Each time my turn to bring pie comes around, I usually bake two of my favorite pies--chocolate cream and pecan. The link takes you to my October 5, 2006 blog and chocolate cram pie recipe.

PECAN PIE

This recipe comes from the fourth edition of Professional Baking by Wayne Gisslen (link takes you to Amazon.com). The is recipe makes 2 (9-inch) pies. I find a mixture of half light and half dark corn syrup makes the best pecan pie. Use brown sugar if you desire a darker color and stronger flavor.

14 ounces granulated sugar
4 ounces butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound 8 ounces whole eggs (about 7 to 8 large)
1 pound 8 ounces dark corn syrup (about 17 fluid ounces)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
10 ounces roasted pecans

Using the paddle attachment at low speed, blend sugar, butter and salt until evenly blended. With the machine running, add eggs a little at a time until they are all absorbed. Add syrup and vanilla. Mix until well blended.

To assemble pies, distribute pecans evenly in pie shells. Fill each pie shell with approximately 1 pound 12 ounces syrup mixture.

Bake at 425 degrees F. for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 30 to 40 minutes more, until set. Cool thoroughly. Cut into 6 or 8 slices as desired.

Camp 2008 -- Goal #2: Reduce end-of-camp donations

The second goal is to reduce end-of-camp donations to less than 4.5 percent of total purchases (when measured in dollars).

Cooking for or a stand-alone camp presents several inventory management issues. Key among them is getting rid of perishable inventory at the end of the week or weekend. We can't hold perishable food until the next camp, some 51 weeks away.

Dutch oven chocolate cream pie with cookie crust. Five (14-inch) Dutch ovens fed 135 campers and staff. You can serve approximately 15 to 25 portions from each large oven.

In an ideal world, the chef purchases just enough food for the campers. You're okay as long as the campers eat all the food that is prepared and presented to them. But few work in such an environment.

Products like fresh tomatoes, lettuce mix and milk give me the most problems. Each year, I adjust my order based on usage and remaining stock from the prior year. The number of anticipated campers also factors into the amount of food that I purchase.

Some years, my adjustments work. In other years the campers eat less (for a variety of reasons) and I'm faced with large quantities of leftover stock.

Now that it's Friday, I'm well on my way to achieving my goal of reducing the end-of-camp donations. Last week when I submitted by purchase order to Sysco, I was able to reduce my order by 10 to 20 cases.

I don't see a need to purchase an unneeded product just so I can donate it to the next camp. While it benefits that camp, it costs our camp money at a time when budgets are tight.

I've been monitoring the remaining food stocks closely and adjusting the menu to use these stocks up before tomorrow morning. My sous chef and I discuss the menu day and work on strategies to reduce excess stock. I'm confident that, at this point in the week, that my end-of-camp donations will come in much less than four percent.

Instead of making more cookies with the two remaining boxes of cookie mix, I used them to form the crust for a Dutch oven chocolate cream pie for lunch today.

DUTCH OVEN CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE WITH COOKIE CRUST

This morning, for instance, I made a Dutch oven chocolate cream pie in five (14-inch) camp ovens. I took the remaining two (5-pound) boxes of basic cookie mix and made cookie dough using the instructions on the box. I then pressed 2 pounds cookie dough into each 14-inch camp oven. It doesn't matter if you use regular or deep-style ovens for this recipe.

After baking the cookie dough over charcoal for 350 degrees F. for approximately 20 minutes, I used eggs, milk and sugar (all excess stock at this point) to make a chocolate cream pie filling from scratch. I cooled the filling and then poured 1-1/2 quarts over the cookie pie crust in each oven. You can also use your favorite instant pie filling if desired.

The five Dutch ovens fed 135 hungry campers during our Independence Day cookout. This is but one example of a way to use excess stocks.

Apple bread pudding pie

This pie is not what you think. It had a creamy texture, much like bread pudding that's laced with apple chunks. The crumb topping adds a contrasting texture that's crunchy and sweet. Each bite is a treat.

I baked this pie for the crew at the El Dorado Western Railway engine house last weekend. It's the third recipe for the black bean chili menu.

APPLE BREAD PUDDING PIE

Use Jonathan, Rome Beauty or Winesap apples for this recipe.

1 unbaked 9-inch pastry shell
3 eggs
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 slices bread, cut up (about 3 cups)
2 medium cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

For crust, line the unbaked pastry shell with a double thickness of foil. Bake in a 450 degree F oven for 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 4 minutes more. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl stir together eggs, applesauce, yogurt, granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, oats and cinnamon. Stir in bread and apples and set aside.

For topping, in another bowl stir together 1/4 cup packed brown sugar and flour. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in nuts. Pour filling into the prepared pie crust. Sprinkle topping over filling. Cover edge of crust with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake 30 minutes more or until top is golden and fruit is tender. Makes 8 servings.

Apple Hill Crowds

Now is the time to see Apple Hill. The crowds have all gone home. We didn't see the heavy traffic this week as we had in past weekends.

I overheard this conversation at the at the engine house yesterday:

"Have your crowds dropped up there now that it's cooled down?" asked Dale, the master welder for the El Dorado Western Railway.

"Yea, they've dropped off like a hammer," Bill responded. Bill works part-time at one of the apple ranches.

The crows at Apple Hill typically fall off after Halloween, said Bill. He said now is the time to visit.

"The apples are still there," added Bill.

More Chocolate Pie

Two slices of the chocolate pie remained in the refrigerator at work this morning. So, Glenn and I added pie to our respective lunches.

Now Glenn wants another chocolate cream pie. He says there was a slight refrigerator taste to it. After a holiday weekend, he may be right!

I guess I'll have to bring pie to the next company pot luck.

Last Night's Chocolate Cream Pie

I took the leftover chocolate cream pie to work this morning. A recent wave of diet conscienceness among the ladies wrecked havoc on my plan to spread pie throughout the office.

As I hollered at each passing worker, Denny, one the managers, asked, "Does Glenn know about the pie?" No, I responded.

It seems that Glenn, the guy who's in charge of space issues for our building, loves good pie.

Glenn got his pie. If all goes well, the pie's silky smooth texture may guarantee that I get the largest office when our division is reorganized in a month or two.

Adjourn to Pie

The El Dorado Western Railway Foundation has a tradition.

Regardless of the scope of discussion or extent of disagreement, the board meeting always adjourns to pie. A slice of pie and cup of juice has a way of placing us at ease. It allows us to relax and turn our attention away from the business of running a railroad.

This evening's meeting is my first turn to bring pie. Each board member is scheduled to bring pie once each year. My next scheduled turn is September 7, 2007.

I had a rare opportunity to bake a chocolate cream pie for the meeting. Baking the pie brought bake fond memories of baking in the Navy. I first worked as a night-shift baker at Naval Air Station Lemore, California while assigned to Attack Squadron 127. Each night the crew baked about 200 single-and double-crust pies.

Always weigh your ingredients for best results.

CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE

This recipe comes from the fourth edition of Professional Baking by Wayne Gisslen.

1 pint milk
2 ounces sugar
2 egg yokes
1 whole egg
1-1/4 ounces cornstarch
2 ounces sugar
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
1 ounce sweetened chocolate
1 ounce unsalted butter
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a heavy saucepan, dissolve sugar and in the milk and bring to just a boil. With a wire whisk, beat the eggs yokes and whole egg in a stainless steel bowl. Sift the starch and sugar into the eggs. Beat with the whisk until smooth.

Temper the egg mixture by slowly beating in the hot milk in a thin stream. Return the mixture to the heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. When the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, remove it from the heat.

Meanwhile, melt the unsweetened and sweetened chocolate together and mix into the hot vainly cream filling. Stir in butter and vanilla. Mix until the butter is melted and completely melted in.

Pour into baked, cooled 9-inch pie shell. Cook, then keep chilled. Topped with whipped cream and cut into 6 or 8 slices as desired.

Apple Crisp for a Crowd

Sharilyn posted this message over at Growlies Recipe Exchange and Party Planning Board this morning:

Have you ever used can apples for [apple crisp]? I need to make it for about 300 people and I would like to use canned apples. Pease let me know if canned apples would work ... I would appreciate your reply thanks.

Sharilyn

=====<<>>=====

Here's the recipe that I use at camp each summer for the Tuesday night cookout. This recipe is adopted from the U.S. Armed Forces Recipe Service.

APPLE CRISP

20-3/4 pounds canned apple slices
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2-3/4 pounds sugar
4 ounces cornstarch
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoons salt
3 pounds brown sugar
1-1/4 pounds rolled oats
1-1/4 pounds all-purpose flour
1-2/3 tablespoons baking powder
1-3/4 tablespoons baking soda
1 tablespoons salt
2 pounds butter, softened

Arrange 4-1/2 quarts apples in each full-sized sheet pan greased pan. Sprinkle juice and zest over apples. Combine granulated sugar, starch, cinnamon and salt. Sprinkle half sugar mixture over apples in each pan.

Combine brown sugar, rolled oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and butter. Blend flour mixture to form a crumbly mixture. Sprinkle an equal quantity of the mixture evenly over apples in each pan.

Using a convection oven, bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until top is bubbling and lightly browned on low fan, open vent. Cut each pan 6 by 9. Serve with serving spoon or spatula. Serves 108.

Notes: Use 3 #10 cans sliced apples per 100 portions. Use two 18x26-inch sheet pans per 100 portions. Three lemons will yield 1/2-cup juice. Two pounds flour (total) may be used in place of rolled oats.