Alternative Way

[Perry Mac Donald]

Could any one of these recipes be done on top of a propane stove . I don't have a microwave or electricity in my boler . I'm referring to the chocolate mug cake recipe and others like it , by Lynne H . Thank you .

[theresa p]

Could any one of these recipes be done on top of a propane stove . I don't have a microwave or electricity in my boler .

perry---sorry, bud, but we don't know which recipes you're referring to.....but pretty well anything can be done stovetop in the right pan/pot. any specifics??

[Raya]

It would be good to know which recipes you mean.

But just in general, a couple of "tricks" that boaters use (smaller boats often don't have ovens):

1) A pressure cooker
Not only do these save fuel and time for "normal" recipes, but you can bake in them. Sounds crazy but it's true. Bread, cake, you name it. You don't get an oven crusty-crust, but otherwise, it's bread

2) A collapsible stove top oven
These are used less often on boats (because they're not really suitable for use in bouncy conditions and because they rust at sea), but they are available at camping supply places, and fold flat for storage. Coleman is a popular brand.

Raya

[Doug Mager]

I remember the recipe in mention, but as far as I know its prolly only 'microwaveable' due to the 'baking' time. Just out of curiosity, if you don't have a micro OR electricity in your trailer, how would/do you prepare meals or 'treats'??

[Raya]

I use the stove, which runs on propane.

[Bill MacDermod]

Karen my DW does old fashion Boston Brown Bread in 15 or 16 oz cans after you empty the canned goods out of them and steams them in a covered pan with an inch of water but raise the can so its not in the water, Hmmm I don't even understand my description but if you do it may work for the cake as well.
There is a recipe on the internet for a crockpot cake, we've found that some times it works and some times its a bomb.

Here is Lynn's recipe

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE!!

Haven`t tried it ..but maybe someone will,and let us know how it was

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips or (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract and your favourite tipple
1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to your largest mug and mix well.

Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.

Add the chocolate chips (if using), vanilla extract and a drop or two of

your favourite tipple, then mix again.

Microwave on high (1000 watts) for 3 min

[Raya]

Aha, so that's the recipe the original poster was asking about making sans electricity. I would bet you could make it in a pressure cooker with some experimentation.

One note about cooking things in old cans is that I think some of them might have things in the solder that you might not want leaching into baked goods. I have not researched this, but I have "heard" (pre-Internet) that it was not even a good idea to keep food in opened cans in the refrigerator. I don't know for sure though.

Also, many cans have Bisphenol A (BPA) coatings on them, as I understand it.

Again, I have not thoroughly researched this, as I don't use cans this way, but it might be something to check into before using old cans as cooking vessels.

Raya

[WtMtJim]

I wanted an "oven" to do biscuits, cornbread, cakes, etc. in when dry camping/boondocking (propane only available). I had an old round Le Cruset enamled, cast iron, deep stew pot with matching lid. I took a thin aluminam pie pan and used an ice pick to punch about a hundred holes in the pie pan. I turn that upside down in the bottom of the cruuset pot as a heat diffuser. I have a heavy duty alum round bake pan that I put whatever I'm baking into. I put the cruset with diffuser and the lid on, on the propane (either on the stove top inside or on my Coleman stove outside and pre-heat the empty unit. I use a infrared thermometer gun to tell when the pot is up to baking temp. I then pop in the baking pan with whatever I'm baking and voila! perfectly baked stuff. Works like a charm. The downsides include (1) only round, 9" pan capacity and (2) limited size and capacity. But for single layer cakes, cornbread, biscuits, etc., it's great. And all made with stuff I had around the house.

[Lydia Cox]

Hi,
Being a Girl Guide leader we make something called a tin foil oven. We use a sturdy box, which I duct tape up, then cut a door in the side of the box. Line it with a couple of layers of tin foil, duct tape the edges down. Use a foil shallow pan to hold briquettes. Each birquettes are approx 50 degrees. Put 4 pop cans filled with sand in the corners to hold a cooling rack to use as a shelf in oven. Bake cookies, cakes, meat, etc. You just have to make sure you have a steady stream of heated briquettes on the go to keep the oven going if you are baking meat. Girls love to eat hot chewy cookies at camp. I usully do this in the fire pit as I do not like to bend down to check on my baked goods. Keeps the kids busy for hours, and I use store bought cookie dough, cause it's easy.
Lydia

[james kent]

When back packing we make bread, and muffins, and cake over a single burner stove. Place your fixin's in a small pot and insert the whole into a larger pot with a coathanger made spacer between so that you have an air spaceall round.{two or three pebbles or beer capc work well too} Put both lids on. Now you have a small personal oven. Our wives laughed at us, and said it couldn't be done, until we produced results.