Goldenwest Electric Cooperative member Syndi Musland Miske loves horses (read more here), especially when she’s riding in the Badlands with family. What makes it even better? When her mom, Darlene Musland, is cooking for a camp full of hungry horse riders!
Darlene, a retired schoolteacher who serves on Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative’s Operation Round Up board of directors, is known for her cooking. She’s taught folks the art of Dutch oven cooking and cooking over fire – with a side of history, of course.
Darlene shares favorite recipes of her trail riders. The Mountain Man Breakfast provides a hearty start for cowboys and cowgirls, and the apple cake is the sweet reward after a long day on the trail.
1 lb. bacon, cut into 2- to 3-inch pieces
1 pkg. frozen hashbrowns
12 eggs
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped onions and peppers, optional
Salt and pepper
In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, brown bacon. Remove from pan. Brown hashbrowns in bacon grease. Add onions and peppers to hashbrowns and season with salt and pepper. Pour beaten eggs, seasoned with salt and pepper, over the browned hashbrowns and allow eggs to seep to bottom of skillet. Stir in the cooked bacon. Cover the skillet with a lid or tinfoil until eggs start to set up. Spread cheddar cheese on top and cook until melted. Serve with condiments of choic
FOR CAMPFIRE COOKING: This can be cooked over coals or on a portable burner when camping. A black cast-iron kettle or cast-iron skillet works best when cooking over coals.
Recipe by Darlene (Leroy) Musland, Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative
CAKE
1¼ cup oil
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
3 cups grated apple
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups flour
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts, optional
SAUCE
1 stick butter
¼ cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup cream
Cream together oil, sugar, eggs and apple. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Add vanilla and fold in nuts, if desired. Line a 12-inch Dutch oven with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 40 minutes to 1 hour in a 350-degree oven until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
For the caramel sauce, place ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and top apple cake with sauce.
FOR CAMPFIRE COOKING: Place nine briquets of charcoal on the bottom and 15 briquets of charcoal on the top. Replace briquets as needed. Check frequently.
TEST KITCHEN TIP: This moist cake is delicious with or without the caramel sauce and is on the sweet side. The apples we used were naturally sweet, so we might reduce the amount of sugar in the cake next time – and there will be a next time!
Recipe by Darlene (Leroy) Musland, Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative
