Pie Irons

[mish]

Pie Irons

Question: What the heck is a Pie Iron?

A Pie Iron is a mold of cast iron or aluminum, with handles. Each side also serves as a small skillet. Bread is placed in first and then the filling into the generous cooking cavity. The two sides close and are then placed over hot coals.

The solid cast iron design holds up to the rigors of the campfire best but must be watched closely to avoid burning. Pie Iron's are fun to use, and make terrific sandwiches and desserts. One word of caution- watch children closely because the fillings can get very hot!

A Jaffle Iron was originally a brand name. It was developed in Australia around the same time as the pie iron was developed in the U.S. It's now the common name used for hinged cavity cooking, not only in Australia but also South Africa and Indonesia.

So, if a camper wanders into your campsite and says, "Aw, I see you're having jaffles, mate." You know what he's talking about...your yummy pie iron treat! Other terms for pie iron fare: Toasties, Mountain Pies, Hobo Pies, Pudgie Pies and Pie Shams.

 

[middie]

oh these things are so cool i loved them. we used them to make pizzas and cherry and apple pies. soooooooo gooooood

 

[mish]

This little gadget reminds me of those snack makers(?) that came out a while back -- only they were for in-home use. Anyone remember them. I would pour pancake batter in (w blueberries, etc.), bread & apple pie filling, & make sammies too. Then came the updated higher-priced pannini makers & the Foreman grill. There's another version (in-home) called the GT-101 (have to check the correct name) that aired on the late-night info-mercials. Nothing beats a grilled cheese sammich There's always the Elvis - was it peanut butter, bacon, & bananas?

 

[Dove]

Would you believe my Dad had one when I was growing up! They arn't anything new by any means. ( they were called Toasttights sp?) I have one now that is 33 years old but it is round. Have to trim the bread crust off but the birds love that.

 

[middie]

we used to have rounds ones too dove. all i can find now are the square ones though.

 

[mish]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]From pieiron.com
[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Pie Iron Cuban Sandwich
[/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Good rye bread
Thinly sliced ham
Thinly sliced pork
Swiss cheese
Pickles
Mustard

The key to this recipe is to get the sandwich pickles that lay flat. make sure the cheese is one of the first layers toward the bread so it melts over the other ingredients. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
1 cake donut
softened butter
sliced pineapple ring
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Slice donut and spread inside with butter. Turn butter side out and place into pie iron. Top with pineapple ring, brown sugar and then other half of buttered donut. Toast until donut is golden brown (you can hear the brown sugar sizzling.) [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Angel Food Fruit Pies
[/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Use a premade angel food cake from the grocery store, preferably the kind shaped like a brick. Cut two 1½" slices. Preheat pie irons in fire. Melt butter into both sides of iron. Place 1 slice angel food in bottom of iron. Spoon cherry pie filling onto top of cake. Place second slice angel food on top. Close the pie iron and cook until angel food becomes golden. [/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Other pie filling flavors also work but cherry is by far the best. Blueberry is also good.[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Fudge Pie
[/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Spray irons with butter spray...cut frozen piecrust larger than iron. Put in a few chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and walnuts. Add a tsp of Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk, put top piece of large circle of piecrust, and bake over fire on both sides. Remove and roll in sugar. This will be hot and oozy, so you may want to eat it with a fork. [/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]

Mock Angel Food Cake
[/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Cut Italian bread in cubes. Dip in Eagle Brand milk then roll in shredded coconut. Spray Pie Iron with butter/Pam. Place cake in Pie Iron and cook over fire 10 to 15 minutes.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]

Banana Cream Pie
[/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Use 2 pieces of bread, butter side out. Place sliced bananas and marshmallows (cut into quarters) or mini marshmallows evenly on bread. Cook until marshmallow is melted.[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Peach Pie
[/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Place the buttered side down, put in 1/2 peach, spoonful of brown sugar, and then cover with the other slice. When done, sprinkle with cinnamon and powdered sugar. One of our favorites...[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]

Chicken Quesedillas
[/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Place one slice of bread, butter side down, on lower half of cooker. Spoon a little bit of diced precooked chicken mixed with a little thick teriyaki sauce on center of bread. Add some grated cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Place second slice of bread, butter side up on top of fillings. Latch handle; trim off excess bread if necessary. Toast over campfire until golden brown on both sides. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Scotty's Tassie Salmon Jaffle
[/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Place bread in the usual manner, butter side out. Add very thinly sliced fresh or smoked Atlantic salmon, very thinly sliced onion, Brie or Camembert cheese & cracked pepper to taste.[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Calzone
[/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1 package frozen spinach (thawed)
1 white onion chopped
8 oz sliced mushrooms
garlic - minced
white pasta sauce - 1 jar
2 Pillsbury pizza crust dough
4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
pine nuts & artichokes optional[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Sauté veggies in oil until tender. Line top of veggies with pizza dough, stretched over the edge of the pie iron. Close lid, turn pie over, and open this side. Lay another strip of the crust across the top of this side, toss in some grated cheese. Stretch dough out over the edge of the iron. Press dough edges together, leaving some on the outside. When lid is closed again, trim edges off. Cook until crust is browned. These ingredients make 4 double pie iron calzones. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Breakfest Chili Pie
Place one slice of bread, butter side down on lower half of cooker. Spoon a little bit of diced chilis (whatever your preference - Jalapenos, Anaheims or green chili) on center of bread. Add some grated cheddar cheese and leftover potatoes from last night's baked potatoes in the coals. Place second slice of vread, buter side up on top of fillings. Latch handle; trim off excess bread if necessary. Toast over campfire until golden brown on both sides.[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
[/font]P[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]each Pie
[/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Place the buttered side down, put in 1/2 peach, spoonful of brown sugar, and then cover with the other slice. When done, sprinkle with cinnamon and powdered sugar. One of our favorites...[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Cherry In A Cloud
[/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Butter bread and sprinkle buttered sides with cinnamon sugar. Place buttered side down and add 2 tbl pie filling and a slice of cream cheese. Top with other slice of bread and cook!! We just love this!![/font]

A[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]pple Pie
[/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Dough:
2 cups of flour
1 cup of lard
pinch salt
1½ tbl water[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Filling:
4 large apples (peeled and sliced)
1/2 stick butter
tsp cinnamon
tbl sugar
2 tbl tapioca[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Mix flour, salt and lard together until "crumbly". Add water slowly and mix gently until a ball of dough forms. Do not over mix of crust will be tough (at least that's what my 80 year old mother told me and this is HER apple pie recipe.) Lightly flour a flat surface and roll out the dough. Cut dough to fit pie iron.[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Mix apples, melted butter, cinnamon, tapioca and sugar together. Spoon the apple mixture onto the middle of a pie dough square. Lay second pie dough square over the apple mixture and then crimp the edges of the pie dough together. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Place the filled apple pies into a pie iron, close tightly and cook approximately six inches over a bed of coals for 10 - 15 minutes. Open the pie iron after a couple of minutes to ensure the piecrust is not browning too fast or the crust will be done before the apples are thoroughly cooked. [/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Open the pie iron, remove the pie, let cool for 5 to 10 minutes.[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Philly Cheeseteak Pie[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]For over 12 years, Ray and his wife have been using serving up pies made with our round cast iron design at the Appalachian Stringband Festival in Clifftop, WV. In this time, they've made over 12,000 pies!! Click here to read more about the Hobo Pie story.[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Here's the recipe for one of their classic pies:[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]A few ounces of precooked Steakum sandwich steak
A good portion of shredded cheese (we use a blend of mozzarella and provolone)
Some finely chopped fried onions and peppers
A gentle squeeze of pizza sauce in squeeze bottle
We use some Italian bread sliced fairly thin.
We always use Pam or some other nonstick spray and only spray maybe once every 15 pies or so....It's as close to a Philly CheeseSteak as you'll find out in the woods.[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Grilled Cheese Sandwich With Sauerkraut
[/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Two slices of bread
Two slices of cheese
Sauerkraut (drained)
Hot peppers - the kind you shake on top of pizza (crushed red pepper flakes - ed.)[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Butter your bread on the inside. Fill with 2 slices of cheese. Drain your sauerkraut and add that to the sandwich. Next (if you like) sprinkle it with red hot peppers. It's delicious and simple! Hope you like it![/font]

T[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]he Detroiter
[/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]This recipe works best with the Rome Panini Press & Italian bread. Place slice of bread, buttered side down, into cooker. Place sliced deli turkey breast and slice of swiss cheese on bread. Add Thousand Island dressing and cover with remaining slice of bread, buttered side up. Close cooker, latch handles and grill to golden brown. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Meatloaf Leftover Sandwich
[/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Between two slices buttered bread, put 1 slice meatloaf, 1 slice cheese, 1 slice tomato and 1 slice onion.[/font]

 

[surfrkim]

I grew up on jaffles (our iron was round - we used it inside the house over a gas jet on the stove). My favoruite was just cheese - I LOVE melted cheese!!! My mum used to give me one when I was home sick from school to cheer me up!!

Cheers, SK

 

[ronjohn55]

I have two of these things at home. I recently 'liberated' them from my brother's care. He wasn't using them, and they were just laying around in his shed (nothing like a warm, humid environment for storing metal...). They are now cleaned up, and ready to go. There's a round one and a square one, and they are probably now about 25-30 years old, as I remember using them groing up (My parents bought them when we were little kids).

I recall mostly making desert type pies, but I know we did make at least a FEW pizza ones here and there, too.

John

 

[sandiom]

pie irons

Dove,
I have been looking for a particular pie iron for many years now. It was used by my mom when I was a child (in the early 60's) and it was round like the one you describe. I have found new pie irons that are round but the depth of the iron cavities is much deeper that the one we used so long ago. Can you (or anyone else) tell me the maker or brand name of the one you have. We mostly made grilled cheese sandwiches with it and like you said we had to cut the crusts off. I would love to buy one just like the one we had as children as it has a lot of sentimental value.
Thanks for your help
Sandiom

 

[IcyMist]

Pie Iron Cuban Sandwich
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Good rye bread
Thinly sliced ham
Thinly sliced pork
Swiss cheese
Pickles
Mustard
[/font]

No, no, no, THAT is not a cuban sandwich. A cuban sandwich uses cuban bread. GASP, my poor heart!!!!!

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Mish; I have two words availble to describe what I feel about your post with all of those incredible pie-iron recipes - WOW! & Thanks!

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[ronjohn55]

Dove,
I have been looking for a particular pie iron for many years now. It was used by my mom when I was a child (in the early 60's) and it was round like the one you describe. I have found new pie irons that are round but the depth of the iron cavities is much deeper that the one we used so long ago. Can you (or anyone else) tell me the maker or brand name of the one you have. We mostly made grilled cheese sandwiches with it and like you said we had to cut the crusts off. I would love to buy one just like the one we had as children as it has a lot of sentimental value.
Thanks for your help
Sandiom

I'll have to check when I get home. I know the square one is generic, but I think the round one has a name like Tonka or something on it.

John

 

[skyone]

Mid 60's "Inventor"

Dove,
I have been looking for a particular pie iron for many years now. It was used by my mom when I was a child (in the early 60's) and it was round like the one you describe. I have found new pie irons that are round but the depth of the iron cavities is much deeper that the one we used so long ago. Can you (or anyone else) tell me the maker or brand name of the one you have. We mostly made grilled cheese sandwiches with it and like you said we had to cut the crusts off. I would love to buy one just like the one we had as children as it has a lot of sentimental value.
Thanks for your help
Sandiom

Did this company start in the mid 60’s, being sold out of the inventors’ car trunk??
The 1st makers I ever used were purchased by my dad from the “inventor” at a camp site in the mid 60’s. Some where out west around Grand Canyon, Teton, Mt. Alta areas, we were on a 6 weeks trip west from Indiana, I was around 10 and do not know exactly what camp, state or local, we met him at other than I remember bathing in the lake. He was looking for a retail connection for his invention and was not having much luck finding one that would handle only 1 item.


I like the round ones better than the square ones because they seal the pie better, as breads are hot square and many are not as large as the square ones need to seal properly. The trimmings make great bird watching "bait" food.


The makers that we bought were not smooth inside or out they were stepped.
________
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_____| |______
| |

My brother had them until his canoe turned over at Eli.

 

[Ripliancum]

I used one of those once, when i was around 5 or 6, except no one told me you had to flip them over. and being so young and stupid, i didn't realize it. I ended up with a cherry pie that was burnt to a crisp on one side.

 

[Melocha410]

last time i went campin we just used 2 sliced of bread and added nutella and mallows and i forgot what else :/ we also used 2 slices of bread and pie filling and just cooked it over the fire.. . yummmy

 

[Melocha410]

yeahh all it was was nutella and mallows . . the bread was like the graham

 

[Wok before you fry]

If you have a round pie iron, then you can use hamburger rolls and not bread. (It saves the trimming and makes for a thicker "crust".) For pies, an easy camping substitute for the sugar is 1/2 a marshmallow. It makes for a gooier (sp) filling, and when you are camping that's half the fun.

 

[pipcampinagain]

how can i get one?

well, this is my first post.....i recently started camping again after yrs of neglect....i used to go all the time thru school w/the scouts as well as buddies in college....now im goin with my girlfriend......never heard of pie irons but they seem like a good "tool" to have. I read that someone used a pie iron to make sanduche de cubano aka cuban sandwich and that sounds like a great idea....thanks for the ideas guys and i look forward to talkin to u all soon.

 

[Chaplain Kent]

We received four of them as gifts but never really used them. After reading these posts I think I will get them out and try some things this weekend, thanks.

 

[Tin Hut]

We received four of them as gifts but never really used them. After reading these posts I think I will get them out and try some things this weekend, thanks.

Let me know how you like them. I've got a bunch of cast iron & ovens & am going to try to cook more outside than over the stove of the trailer. I'd like to find some larger ones so that I could cook several pies or one large on that can be shared. Guess that's where having several irons in the fire comes from.