Culinary Adventures with Camilla

I saw somewhere a recipe for a sweet focaccia. Novel idea. My focaccie are always savory. Since I didn't bookmark the recipe, I decided to wing it and make some sweet focaccie for a Saturday picnic after a day of fossil-hunting. Sweet Focaccia Dough 2 C warm water 1 T active dry yeast 1 T raw organic honey  5 C flour, plus additional for kneading 1/4 C coconut oil 1/4 C extra-virgin olive oil Combine the warm water, yeast and honey in a small bowl. Let the yeast bloom for 10-15 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and the olive oil with the yeast mixture. Beat with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Continue to knead for 5 to 6 minutes until it becomes smooth and soft. Sprinkle with more flour if the dough is really sticky. Coat the inside of the bowl lightly with olive oil and return the dough to the bowl and turn to coat. Cover it with a dish towel and put it in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, at leas...

Dark chocolate truffles are my go-to for decadent deliciousness. Inspired by Rook No. 17's version , I whipped up these lovelies - bee pollen-infused truffles, dipped in dark chocolate, and dusted with granulated honey - of my own for our honey-themed picnic lunch. 12 oz high-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces 1/2 C heavy whipping cream 1 T bee pollen 1 T honey semisweet chocolate for dipping granulated honey for garnishing In a small, heavy saucepan bring the whipping cream and honey to a simmer. Place the chocolate in a separate bowl with bee pollen. Pour the cream over the chocolate. Let stand for 3 minutes. Whisk till smooth. Allow to cool, then place in the refrigerator for at least two hours. Roll teaspoon-sized balls in your hands as quickly as you can. Place truffles in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. In the meantime, melt chocolate over a double-boiler. Remove truffles from the fridge; using a skewer or for...

In answer the boys' united cry for pastries, I did whip up a French Apple Tart for dessert...with some pink lady apples. 2 C flour 1/2 C softened butter 1/2 C organic, granulated sugar 1/4 C olive oil 1 T cold water Mix the flour, sugar and salt; rub in the butter with olive oil until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in 1 tablespoon of water with a fork until the mixture forms a ball. Roll out between two pieces of parchment paper. Press gently into a tart pan. Chill for at least one hour. almond paste 6 pink lady apples 1/4 C organic, granulated sugar 1/4 C plum-vanilla bean jam 3 T butter Heat oven to 375º. Lay disk of almond paste in the bottom of the tart. Working with one apple half at a time, thinly slice into sections, keeping slices together. Press sliced apple half gently to fan it out and arrange it in the crust; repeat with remaining apple halves. Fill in any gaps with remaining apple. Sprinkle with sugar and then dot ...

The boys love to slather fruit butter on bread. And since I just used the last of my quince butter , I decided to use some of the apples from our orchard adventure for apple butter. Since I didn't have any sugar, I substituted ginger syrup and a little bit of honey. 6  apples, peeled, cored, and diced  1/2 C balsamic vinegar 3 C water 1 C ginger syrup 2 T honey 1 T ground cinnamon 1 t ground cloves 1 t ground nutmeg 1 t ground cardamom Put apple pieces into wide thick-bottomed pot, add all ingredients, cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cook until pieces are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove cover and cook uncovered, stirring constantly to prevent burning and encourage evaporation. Scrape the bottom of the pot while you stir to make sure a crust is not forming at the bottom. Cook until thick and smooth, about one hour. Spoon the butter into sterilized jars, leaving about a 1/2" gap to the top. Gently tap the bottom of each jar on the c...