Cast Iron Desserts

During the first half of the 20th century most American households regularly cooked with at least one cast-iron skillet. Then cast iron was pushed aside with the introduction of Teflon nonstick cookware in the 1960s. It wasn't long before cast iron's usefulness and versatility were forgotten, until now. Within the last decade, cast-iron cookware has made a serious comeback and for good reason. Touted for its lifetime durability (quite literally, as cast iron skillets are commonly passed down through generations), chemical-free nonstick surface, and ability to retain heat, these pots and pans have returned to their rightful place as an essential cooking vessel.

The set of skillets I use today were my great-grandmother's. They were long forgotten until I unearthed them from the garden grave where they were tossed during a lapse of judgment while my grandmother de-cluttered her kitchen. They were rusted and sad, but not beyond repair. After a thorough scouring, scrub, and re-seasoning, they were brought back to life and are now used to cook everything from frittatas to decadent desserts like chewy Browned Butter Pecan Blondies, classic apple Tarte Tartin, and gooey S'mores Pie.