Darren Kirby is getting used to being called “Mr. Pudgie Pie” by friends. It’s no insult: The Bloomer author’s new book, Pie Iron Recipes, is devoted to the campfire cooking staple also known as the pudgie pie iron or the jaffle iron. Even if you didn’t know what it was called, you’ve likely used one: A pie iron is a pair of hinged metal plates between which you can toast any manner of campground delicacies (with the help of a long handle, of course). On a typical camping trip, a pie iron might be used only to heat cherry pie filling between two slices of bread, but Kirby says it can cook much, much more: from French toast with bacon for breakfast to a reuben sandwich for dinner and a peanut butter cup melt for dessert. “It’s possible to use just these pie irons to cook everything over a weekend camping trip, which would save a lot of weight and space when packing,” he writes in the book’s introduction. Kirby, a frequent camper in state parks, originally sought out pie iron recipes for his culinary edification. Along the way, he realized there was no specific cookbook devoted to the gadget, and after compiling more than 100 recipes and variations, he decided to write (and publish) one himself. “It’s fun and it’s personalized, and it allows variety pretty easily,” Kirby says of the attraction of pie iron cooking, which he notes is as easy to do in a backyard fire pit as it is in a campfire. In other words, pie iron cooking doesn’t end with summer camping season.

Pie Iron Recipes is available at The Local Store and Scheels in Eau Claire, as well as online via darrenkirby.com.