Let’s cook

Before Sam and I started Frontier Craftsmen, I spent seven years working as a pastry chef and developed a deep passion for cooking. I've always dreamed of sharing my recipes and hope to inspire others to cook and bake. My recipes come from the past twenty years of baking and cooking, using fresh ingredients whenever possible and always baking with butter and love. Be sure to check back weekly for exciting new recipes.

-Natalie Kohlhagen

What’s cookin’ this week???

Homemade Pizza - Black Bean Soup - Rich Chocolate Brownies

  • Preheat oven to 450

  • Combine all ingredients and knead for 5 minutes, by hand or in kitchen aid to dough hook

  • Oil, cover, and rest for 1 hour

  • Punch dough and rest for another 10 minutes

  • Flour counter and roll dough (makes 2 - 12 inch pizzas)

  • Prebake crust in the oven for 5-7 minutes

  • Top with sauce and pizza toppings and bake until the edges of crust are golden brown and cheese is melted

Homemade Pizza

16 oz. water (94-99 degrees)

3 Tablespoons dry yeast

1 lb. 12 oz. bread flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 Tablespoons olive oil

Black Bean Soup

  • Heat up a large Dutch oven, sauté onion in olive oil until translucent

  • Add the garlic cloves and cook for two more minutes, careful not to burn the garlic

  • Add the black beans, broth, tomatoes, and chilies

  • Bring to a boil and simmer for two hours

  • Blend ¾ of the soup with an immersion blender or place in a blender, do not put on the lid all the way or you will have a giant mess

  • Top with green onions, sour cream, or cheddar cheese

1 Vidalia onion, chopped

2 Tablespoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

3 ½ cups chicken broth

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies

1 4oz can chopped green chilies

½ cup sour cream

¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese

¼ cup chopped green onions

  • Preheat oven to 325

  • Put chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 2 minutes, stir together

  • In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla

  • Add the chocolate butter mixture to the egg mixture, do not overmix

  • Fold in the flour

  • Pour into a 9x13 greased pan

  • Bake until done, when a toothpick comes out clean

Rich Chocolate Brownies

24oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

10 oz unsalted butter

7 Whole eggs

9 oz sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 oz bread flour

3/14/2025

Blackberry Lavender scones-Dutch Oven Mac N Cheese - Smoked Pulled Pork

Blackberry Lavender Scones

  • Preheat oven to 425

  • Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and dried lavender

  • Cut in the butter with two butter knives

  • Add the yolk, milk, and vanilla

  • Gently mix only until combined

  • Fold in the blackberries

  • Lay down a piece of plastic wrap, put the batter down, fold and turn 4-5 times until mixture comes together

  • Shape the dough into a circle and cut into 8 equal pieces

  • Brush the scones with an egg wash and bake until tops are golden brown and scones bounce back when lightly pressed

  • While still hot from the oven drizzle with prepared lemon glaze

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 ¼ teaspoons dried lavender

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 egg yolk

1/3 cup milk

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

¾ cup blackberries

1 lemon, juiced and zested

Powdered sugar 

Dutch Oven Mac N Cheese

1 small Vidalia onion, chopped

2 Tablespoons olive oil

4 Tablespoons salted butter

4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 qt milk

12 oz sharp cheddar cheese

¼ cup parmesan cheese

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

10 oz cooked pasta

½ cup breadcrumbs

1 cup Colby Jack cheese

1 teaspoon dried thyme

  • Heat oven to 350 degrees

  • Sauté onions and olive oil in a hot large Dutch oven for 8-10 minutes, stirring often

  • Add the butter to the onion, stir until melted

  • Add the flour, stir

  • Slowly add the milk

  • Add the cheese, salt, pepper, and thyme.  Stir until all of the cheese is melted

  • Mix in the pasta and stir

  • Combine the breadcrumbs, Colby Jack cheese, and thyme then sprinkle on top

  • Bake covered for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown

Smoked Pulled Pork

5-6 lb bone-in pork shoulder

Sam’s rub (Recipe down below)

Honey

  •  Pat dry the pork and rub generously with rub

  • Smoke at 225 degrees for 12 hours fat side up.  Sue ¾ hickory and ¼ cherry wood chips soaked in water

  • After the first four hours and at the eighth hour add a light glaze of honey over the pork

  • Cook for a total of 12 hours until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees

  • Rest for 30 minutes before pulling

Homemade BBQ Sauce

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup ketchup

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon sriracha

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon honey

  • Whisk all ingredients together in a small sauce pan over medium heat for 8-10 minute

3/7/2025

Irish Soda Bread - Homemade Granola - Flamin’ Chicken

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees

  • Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and the salt in a bowl

  • Cut in the butter with two butter knives until the butter is pea size

  • Add the buttermilk and mix until it all comes together kneading no more than two minutes

  • Shape into an oval loaf and bake on a cookie sheet with parchment paper

  • Bake for about 40 minutes

  • Allow to cool completely before slicing

Irish Soda Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

¾ cup plus 2 Tablespoons buttermilk

Granola

¼ cup maple syrup

¼ cup honey

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ water

¼ canola oil

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

7 cups old fashioned oats

1/2 cup wheat germ

1 cup flax seed

2 cups slivered almonds

2 cups Craisins or raisins

1 cup another other chopped nut

2 cups coconut flakes

  • Preheat oven to 275.

  • Combine syrup, honey, sugar, water, oil, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a small bowl.  Whisk all together until well combined

  • Combine oats, wheat germ and flax seed in a large bowl.

  • Pour the wet mixture over the oat mix

  • Divide the oat mix between two large pans, the thicker it is the longer it will take to dry out

  • Bake the granola, stirring every 20 minutes for about an hour and a half.  For the last 20 minutes add the almonds, Craisins or raisins, nuts, and coconut 

  • Allow to completely cool before storing in a sealed container

  • Whisk together the soy sauce, oil, water, onion, sesame seeds, sugar, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper

  • place the chicken in a large ziploc bag and pour the marinade over the chicken. refrigerate overnight or for at least 6-8 hours.

  • Drain the marinade off the chicken and cook the chicken over a hot grill.  Beware, it’s called flaming chicken for a reason. 

  • Cook chicken to 180 degrees, about 45 minutes.

Flaming Chicken

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup canola oil

¼ cup water

2 Tablespoons minced dried onion

2 Tablespoons sesame seeds

1 Tablespoon sugar

2 Tablespoons minced garlic

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

3-4 pounds chicken pieces (legs and thighs – bone in)

2/28/25

Express Smoked Ribs - Lasagna Soup - Carrot Cake

liberally coat ribs in rub, and put into a crockpot on low with 1 cup of apple sauce spread on top. cook for 2 hours.

  1. heat the smoker to 200-225 and cook the ribs for four hours

  2. hour 1 - 1 light smoke (1 handful of apple chips and 1 handful of hickory chips), drizzle honey over the ribs

  3. hour 2 - reload chips and coat ribs with the prepared apple bBQ sauce.

  4. hour 3 - reload chips, flip ribs, and drizzle with more honey.

  5. hour 4 - reload chips, flip ribs, and coat with more aaple bBQ sauce.

Express Smoked Ribs

1 rack Baby Back Ribs

1 cup Apple Sauce

Sam’s Rub (recipe Down Below)

2 Tablespoons Apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons bBQ sauce

1/4 cup honey

Sam’s Rub Recipe

3 tablespoons kosher salt

2 1/2 Tablespoons light brown sugar

3 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon thyme

1 tablespoon chili flakes

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon coarse black pepper

  1. mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. extra can be stored in a mason jar.

  1. in a large dutch oven, saute onion with olive oil until translucent. Add all the spices and italian sausage. Cook until the sausage is cooked through.

  1. mix in the tomato paste and crushed tomatoes.

  2. add the broth and pasta, bring to a boil, and cook until pasta is al dente.

  3. lastly, stir in the parmesan cheese and heavy cream.

Lasagna Soup

1 vidalia onion, chopped

1 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 crushed clove

1 teaspoon oregano

2 tablespoons basil

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 pound italian sausage

1 tablespoon tomato paste

15 oz crushed tomato

1/2 pound pasta

4 cups Chicken broth

1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1/4 cup heavy cream


Carrot Cake

4 large eggs at room temperature

1 1/4 cups canola oil

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups sifted cake flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 cups carrots

***first step - most important! cook the carrots in water until soft. drain and mash the carrots, this will add moisture to the cake and keep it from drying out.

  1. heat oven to 350 and prepare two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper. parchment paper on the bottom, spray the sides with a pan spray.

  2. in a mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla. do not overmix; that will add air to the batter, causing it to collapse.

  3. add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in three parts, scrape the bowl each time.

  4. fold in the mashed carrots, again careful not to overmix.

  5. pour the batter into the two prepared pans and bake for 40-50 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly pressed.

  6. completely cool before frosting. top with your favorite cream cheese frosting recipe.