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Does anyone still have a copy of the Jewel Cave Adventure book? I seem to recall there was a recipe in there for Cave Bread which we used to make and take along with us many years ago. I since have lost track of it. Perhaps it is better of forgotten, however if anyone has a copy of the recipe, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks

From Herb and Jan's Book:

Mix and bring to boiling point: 1.5 cups of water; 1.75 cups of sugar; 2 cups of applesauce; .5 cups of molasses; .66 cup of honey; 2 cups of shortening

Mix then add to the above: 8 cups of whole wheat flower; 2-2/3 cups white flour; .66 cup powdered milk; 1 teaspoon of salt; 2 teaspoons of baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon of cloves; and 1 teaspoon of nutmeg

Hope this helps.

Do you bake it or just eat it raw?

That is pretty much all the book says. I've never made it, I'm just familiar with the book.

I've never made anything like this, but I'm an experienced baker, FWIW:

This is a HUGE recipe. You'd need at least three standard loaf pans to hold it, even though it doesn't have much leavening (soda and baking powder) for that amount of flour. IMO, it would come out quite dense and heavy. Which is probably the point, if it's meant to hold up in a rucksack during a long cave crawl.

Personally, I'd look for a more explicit recipe before plunging into the unknown depths of this one! But if anyone's planning to try it, I'd hazard an educated guess on a 350 F oven for approximately 45 - 55 minutes, and rotating the pans about 25 minutes into the baking time.

Has anyone tried this? The recipe has intrigued me, but I'm not a baker or very handy in the kitchen at all.

Ive made it. I cut the recipe in 1/4 and it was still quite a bit of dough to deal with.. I loved it but my freinds not so much. If i recall corectly, the baking time and temp were in the text of the book where they discuss the food they ate on the trips.

Apple (Logan Bread) F Herb and Jan Conn
People often ask us what we take to eat in the cave. Our lunches consist almost entirely of a loaf we bake ourselves. A combination of Logan bread (a mountaineer’s staple) and applesauce cake.
Because those who try it usually come back asking for the recipe, it is given below. We recommend it for any sort of outdoor lunch -- or indoor, too, for that matter. It is concentrated food with a minimum of bulk, and is palatable even when water is scarce. In our relatively dry climate it keeps for a week or more without refrigeration, protected only by a plastic bag. It may crumble partially in a tight crawlway, but the crumbs are good eating too.

1) Mix and bring to boiling point:

1 1/2 Cups 12 oz. water*
1 3/4 Cups 121/2 oz. sugar
2 Cups 16 oz. applesauce
1/2 Cup 41/2 oz. molasses
2/3 Cup 71/2 oz. honey
2 Cups 15 2/3 oz. shortening

2) Mix together then add above:

8 Cups 32 oz. whole wheat flour
2 2/3 Cups 12 oz. white flour
2/3 Cup 21/2 oz. powdered milk
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cloves
optional: nuts, raisins, or whatever suits you.

* These are actual weights rather than fluid measurements. We put the container right on the kitchen scale and add the ingredients by weight. No measuring cups to wash afterwards.

3) Use greased or teflon-lined pans --
three 8 inch square pans or five small loaf pans
(Allow room for moderate rising.)

4) Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top. Preheat oven to 300° F. Bake for 1 hour or until firm to the touch in the center.

Recipe produces a large quantity of food, but that is no problem if you have a freezer or a hearty appetite. If you experiment with a half or a quarter of the recipe and run into unmanagable fractions, take comfort. Small changes in quantities and substitutions of ingredients are regular occurrences at our house and make little difference in the final product. The only time we goofed badly was when we used seasoning salt by mistake instead of cinnamon and sugar. It was terrible!

Sounds good! But for the diabetics among us, this is bad, BAD stuff. Way, way too much sugar.

Bill Gee

KsCaver22 wrote:Sounds good! But for the diabetics among us, this is bad, BAD stuff. Way, way too much sugar.

Bill Gee

Back in the old days, at least in Iowa, we had something called "Pogey Bait." Can't remember all the ingredients, though. Probably a homemade mix of chocolate and granola. Now so many bars and such are available, no need to mix your own, but probably cheaper!