Culinary Adventures with Camilla

The littlest Sugar Pig asked if I could make shortbread to go with the Prickly Pear Lemon Curd . Okay. I love that this only includes 4 ingredients and it's done in less than 30 minutes. Ingredients 1 C butter, cubed + more for greasing baking dish 1/2 C organic powdered sugar + more for sprinkling 2 C gluten-free flour blend 1 egg Prickly Pear Lemon Curd , optional Procedure Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter your baking dish; I used a 9"x13" dish. In a large mixing bowl, use a pastry cutter to blend the butter into the flour and powdered sugar. Add in the egg and form dough into a ball with your hands. Press the dough into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top with more powdered sugar. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes - or until cookies are pale golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing. Cut into squares and serve immediately. Spoon  Prickly Pear Lemon Curd   over the top, if using. 

As a second sweet for Nonna's brunch, the Enthusiastic Kitchen Elf and I made some Meyer lemon squares. Crust Ingredients   makes 2 pans of lemon squares 4 C flour 1 C organic powdered sugar 1-1/2 C butter (3 sticks) 2 to 3 T cold water 2 to 3 T limoncello (or more water if you don't want to use alcohol) zest from 1 organic Meyer lemon Topping Ingredients 8 eggs 3 C organic granulated sugar 1/2 C flour 1 t baking powder zest from 2 to 3 organic Meyer lemons 3/4 C freshly squeezed lemon juice organic powedered sugar for serving Procedure Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place flour and powdered sugar into a mixing bowl. Rub in butter till the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Alternate between water and limoncello (if using) until the mixture forms a ball. Press the dough into two baking dishes. Divide the lemon zest between the two pans and press the zest into the crust. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. In the meantime, make the to...

After making Rhubarb-Fennel Pollen Bars for Nicholas   a few weeks ago, I've made a few different versions since. Tonight - to celebrate another successful schoolyear - I made a panful with lady finger crumbles, dried coconut, and quinoa flour. A note about the quinoa flour: it smells distinct and odd, to me, but it tastes great. It definitely doesn't taste the way it smells. Thank goodness. Ingredients 1-1/2 C crumbled lady finger cookies 1/2 C dried coconut flakes 1 C quinoa flour + 1 T 1 C light brown sugar, lightly packed 12 T butter, melted 1 T organic granulated sugar 3 C rhubarb, trimmed and sliced juice from 1 lemon Procedure Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the crumbled lady finger cookies, coconut flakes, flour, and light brown sugar in a 9" x 13" baking dish. Melt the butter and pour it into the baking dish. Use a fork to blend it together until clumps form. Press the base lightly into the pan. In a large mixing bowl, stir t...

More blueberry goodness with our hand-picked blueberries from High Ground Organics ... Ingredients 1-1/2 C rolled oats 1 C dried coconut 1 C flour (I used a white whole wheat flour) + 2 T flour 1 C light brown sugar, lightly packed 1 T organic granulated sugar 1/4 t baking soda 1/4 t fleur de sel 12 T butter, melted + 1 T butter, softened 3 C fresh blueberries zest from 1 lemon juice from 1 lemon 2 T ground almonds Procedure Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the oats, 1 C flour, dried coconut, light brown sugar, baking soda, and salt, in a 9" x 13" baking dish. Melt the butter and pour it into the baking dish. Use a fork to blend it together until clumps form. Reserve 1/2 C of the mixture and press the remaining base lightly into the pan. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the blueberries, 1 T softened butter, 1 T granulated sugar, 2 T flour, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Spoon the blueberry mixture over your crust. ...

One of my best friends - who is about to have a baby, as in any minute now - posted a recipe for me:  Smitten Kitchen's Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Bars . Her note - "these made me think of you minus the strawberry." Despite most people pairing rhubarb with strawberry, I prefer my rhubarb plain. I jokingly told her that she needed to say, "Cam, Nicholas is craving these!" Then I'd whip up a batch for her. When I was at Whole Foods yesterday, there were five lonely stalks of rhubarb. They called my name. It was a sign. For the record, no, produce doesn't really talk to me...I'm not that crazy. But I scooped up all of the rhubarb and made these for Jenn and her unborn baby. And because I can't follow a recipe to save my life, these are inspired by Smitten Kitchen's recipe...with lots of adaptations. Can't wait to see if he's a rhubarb lover in a couple of years. Ingredients 2 C rolled oats 1 C flour (I used a white whole ...

This is perfect for when you crave something sweet but don't want the richness of chocolate. I love the tartness! Crust 1-1/2 C white whole wheat flour 1/2 C ground almonds 1/2 C organic powdered sugar 3/4 C butter Preheat the oven to 350. Mix the flour, ground almonds, and powdered sugar together. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in 1 teaspoon of water until the mixture forms a ball. Press the mixture evenly into a 13"x 9" baking dish and bake for 15-20 minutes until light golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly. Key Lime Mixture 4 eggs 2 C organic granulated sugar 1/4 C white whole wheat flour 1/2 t baking powder 1/2 C fresh key lime juice Beat together all the ingredients until smooth and combined. Pour the mixture over the cooked base and top with sliced fresh rhubarb. Return to the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Leave to cool. Before serving sprinkle the top with powdered sugar. Cut into squa...