Sweetness Served Singular: 4 Desserts to Make in a Cast Iron Skillet

Recipe & Photos by Melanie Hutti, Gypsy Hill Photography

Nothing completes an evening on a more personal note
than individual portions of an indulgent dessert.

Presented in a beautiful All-In-One Cast Iron Skillet simple desserts evoke a warmness that encourages lingering and coffee drinking.

These are the meals that stretch late into the evening, best-enjoyed by a warm fire. The options are endless and easy, from fruits and ice cream to cakes and cobblers. With little work, dessert can be prepared table-side, giving guests something to look forward to as the evening progresses.

How to Make
Fire Roasted Peaches
with a Honey Mascarpone & Balsamic Reduction

Serving: 2 | Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 13 min | Total Time: 25 min

*This recipe can be easily adjusted to feed several guests or a cozy party of two.

Ingredients

• 4 ripe peaches
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 3/4 cup mascarpone cheese
• Fresh mint leaves

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, cream the mascarpone cheese and one tablespoon of honey. Keep chilled until dessert is served.
2. In a small saucepan, over medium-high heat, cook the balsamic vinegar until it reduces by half, making a thicker syrup that will coat the back of a spoon. Cool slightly and stir in one tablespoon of honey. Set aside as peaches cook.
3. Cut peaches in half, removing the pit. Preheat cast iron skillets over medium-heat coals.
4. When heated, add one tablespoon of butter to each skillet. Place halved peaches, cut side down, onto skillets. Place lid on skillets and top with small coals. 
5. Allow peaches to roast 6-8 minutes, or until golden brown on the cut side. Remove the lid and flip peaches. Sprinkle peaches with sea salt. Replace the heated lid with coals and cook for 5 minutes, or until peaches are fork-tender. Allow peaches to cool in the skillet.
6. Drizzle each peach with honey balsamic reduction.
7. Spoon mascarpone into the center of each peach and top with a fresh mint leaf.
8. Serve freshly prepared in the skillet.

How to Make
Bourbon Bananas Foster for One

Serving: 1 | Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 2-3 min | Total Time: 8 min

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar (dark or light)
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
• 1 cinnamon stick/grated cinnamon
• 1 small banana, sliced lengthwise
• 1 tablespoon bourbon
• 1 scoop vanilla bean ice cream

Instructions

1. Melt butter in the skillet over medium heat.
2. Add brown sugar and cinnamon, stirring until sugar dissolves into a syrup.
3. Add the banana slices and cook, turning once, until both sides are softened and golden brown.
4. Carefully pour in the bourbon and allow the sauce to reduce.
5. Cool slightly and serve with vanilla ice cream.

How to Make
Individual Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookies

Serving: 2 | Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 14-16 min | Total Time: 24-26 min

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter or grease 2 six-inch All-In-One Cast Iron Skillets. 
2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder.
3. In a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in egg and vanilla, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed.
4. Add dry ingredients and oats and mix until just incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Spoon half of the cookie dough into each skillet, spreading to the edges with the back of a spoon. Top with a few more chocolate chips and a sprinkle of sea salt.
6. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until edges are golden and the center is set but not overcooked. (If you like crispier edges, you can set them under a broiler until browned.) 
7. Let cool slightly before serving topped with vanilla ice cream.

How to Make
Individual Skillet Blackberry Cornmeal Cobblers

Serving: 4 | Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 25-30 min | Total Time: 40 min

Ingredients

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 3 cups blackberries
• 1 cup sugar, plus two tablespoons
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Melt butter in a 10” All-In-One Cast Iron Skillet in the oven (about 5 minutes).
3. Toss blackberries with 2 tablespoons of sugar in a medium bowl. 
4. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and the remaining 1 cup of sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add milk and vanilla. 
5. Remove skillet from oven and add melted butter to flour mixture; whisk until just combined. Pour batter into skillet, and top with blackberries and juices.
6. Bake until golden brown and the fruit is bubbling, approximately 25-30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. 
7. The cobblers can be topped with vanilla ice cream when cooled slightly.

ABOUT

Melanie Hutti is the stay-at-home gypsy of Gypsy Hill Farm located in central Kentucky. She loves to travel, but equally loves her time on her farm with her husband and two teenage sons. She is a full-time Occupational Therapist in the public schools, where she uses gardening as a therapeutic activity for her students with exceptional needs. She spends her evenings and summers off in her garden and behind the camera with her hobby photography business, Gypsy Hill Photography. She loves cooking, canning, and serving as a missionary in Haiti. She is a collector of hobbies and loves anything food and nature centered.

 Gypsy Hill Photography