I bet if you had used some of the explosives that you are named after, you might have cut the spoon making time down a little bit.
I was using the burning technique to hollow out the spoon's depression. Normally one would use a small, glowing ember for this.

Trying to find the proper amount/distribution of potassium nitrate to do the same thing took a long time...still not quite there. I may need to spend more time in the woods experimenting.

-Blast