Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club

Very Berry Muffins

These extra-moist muffins provide a blueberry explosion in every bite. You won’t have to hunt for the fruit because tossing the berries in a small amount of flour keeps them from sinking to the bottom.

Ingredients

  • 3 heaping cups blueberries, rinsed and patted dry
  • ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon white whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup all-purpose or pastry flour
  • 2-½ teaspoons baking powder 
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup cottage cheese
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 scant cup sugar  
  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla paste or extract 

Directions

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 12-muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray or a small amount of olive oil. 

Step 2

Toss the blueberries with the tablespoon of white whole wheat flour and set aside. Mix the rest of the dry ingredients in a bowl. 

Step 3

In a second, larger bowl, whisk the cottage cheese, sour cream, and yogurt until smooth, then whisk in the eggs and sugar and, when blended, the oil and vanilla. 

Step 4

Fold in the flour mixture and then the blueberries. Use a large ice cream scoop to fill the muffin cups, mounding the batter in the center. (The batter will completely fill the cups.)

Step 5

Bake for about 45 minutes, until the tip of a knife inserted in the center of two or three muffins doesn’t show any raw batter—there may be some blueberry on it. Let the muffins cool for about 15 minutes before eating.

Yields 12 large muffins

Twice-Baked Breakfast Potatoes

Talk about a reason to get up in the morning! These Instagram-worthy twice-baked potatoes will wow your family or guests. Feel free to substitute sweet potatoes for russets. And for a vegetarian option, replace the bacon with sautéed mushrooms. We recommend a final drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over the top of the potato before serving.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed and pricked with a fork all over
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons for the mash
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
  • 4 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked
  • 4 medium eggs
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
  • 1 tablespoon thinly sliced chives or scallions, for garnish

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400˚F.

Step 2

Rub the outside of the potatoes with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack in the center of the oven and bake for 1 hour, or until the potatoes are tender in the center. (A bamboo skewer should pierce them easily.) Remove the potatoes from the oven and cool for 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 3

Cover a baking sheet with foil for easier clean-up. Using a sharp knife, slice each potato in half length- wise and hollow each half out with a spoon or melon baller, scooping the potato flesh into a mixing bowl. (It’s important that you do this while the potatoes are still hot.) Arrange the potato shells on the prepared baking sheet, making sure they are fairly level. (You can prop them upright with crumpled foil if necessary.)

Step 4

Add the remaining olive oil and cream to the scooped potato and mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 5

Spread 2 tablespoons of the mashed potato mixture in the bottom of each hollowed potato skin; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the cheese (you may have some remaining mashed potato left to nibble on). Arrange a slice of bacon lengthwise on each potato, tucking it into the hollowed-out potato shell. Break the eggs individually into a small bowl, then gently pour into the potato shells. Try not to break the yolks.

Step 6

Lower the oven temperature to 375˚F and bake the potatoes until the egg whites have just set and the yolks are still runny, 18 to 24 minutes.

Step 7

Top each potato with a sprinkle of the remaining cheese, season with salt and pepper, garnish with chives, and drizzle with EVOO.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from spoonforkbacon.com

Olive Oil Chiffon Cake

What sets chiffon cake apart from other yellow cakes is its versatility—use it for classic layer cake recipes, for ice cream cakes, and even for a breakfast cake. Because it’s made with oil, not butter, chiffon cake stays moist in the fridge or freezer. Extra virgin olive oil adds a subtle yet rich flavor—you’ll never call chiffon cake bland again! What’s more, it’s wonderful for getting all the benefits of olive oil in a sweet way. This recipe yields two 9-inch rounds. I love to cut a wedge from one layer and top it with yogurt and fruit for breakfast or a snack. You can also cut each layer in two horizontally to build a four-layer cake with your favorite filling.

Ingredients

  • 5 large eggs
  • 1 cup sugar, divided
  • 1/2 + 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup water, room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cups cake flour
  • 1/2 + 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 + 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions

Step 1

Separate the whites from the yolks when the eggs are cold and then leave them on the counter for about 30 minutes to come to room temperature (the whites will whip much better than when cold). Center one of the racks in the middle of your oven and preheat it to 325°F. Line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper and set aside. 

Step 2

In a large bowl, whisk the yolks and 1/2 cup sugar for about 2 minutes until fully blended and light in color. Whisk in the olive oil, vanilla, and water. Whisk the flour and baking powder in a small bowl and then whisk this into the yolk mixture until it’s fully incorporated.

Step 3

In a standing mixer or large bowl, beat egg whites, salt, cream of tartar, and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar on low speed for about 30 seconds and then gradually increase the speed to high. Continue beating for 8–10 minutes until you get a glossy meringue with firm peaks.

Step 4

Fold about a cup of the meringue into the yolk mixture to lighten it and then gently fold in the rest in three batches, just until there are barely any streaks of meringue visible. Divide the batter between the two pans and gently smooth the surfaces with an offset spatula. Bake the cakes on the same rack for 15 minutes and then reverse their positions and continue baking until the tops are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed with a fingertip—about 15 minutes more, depending on your oven.

Step 5

When done, invert the pans onto two wire racks to cool for about an hour. Turn them right side up and run an offset spatula around the sides of the cakes to loosen them, then invert them again, take off the pans, and remove the parchment. If you aren’t using the layers right away, you can stack them with a piece of parchment paper between them and store them in a covered cake holder for up to three days on the counter.

Yields two 9-inch cake layers

Raspberry Curd Parfaits

Extra virgin olive oil gives the berry curd silky richness, no butter needed. It’s delicious layered with rich Greek yogurt and garnished with whole berries. You can also use it as a filling for a chiffon layer cake, as a breakfast treat layered with cooked and cooled rolled oats, or simply as is, just as you’d enjoy a mousse. 

Ingredients

  • 1 pint (12 ounces) fresh raspberries, plus more for garnish
  • Juice of 1 small lemon
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch 
  • 4 large eggs, plus 2 yolks
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar 
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 4 tablespoons mild extra virgin olive oil 
  • 2 cups Greek yogurt

Directions

Step 1

Puree the raspberries with a hand blender and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice and cornstarch until smooth. 

Step 2

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, use a whisk to blend the eggs thoroughly, and then whisk in the sugar, berries, cornstarch-lemon juice, vanilla, and salt. 

Step 3

Place the pan over medium heat and continue to whisk the mixture until it reaches a very low boil. Cook for two minutes (this activates the cornstarch), lowering the heat if necessary to prevent a rapid boil. The curd should be thick enough to coat the whisk.

Step 4

Off the heat, slowly whisk in the olive oil until it’s completely blended in. Pour the curd into a glass bowl or container and allow it to come to room temperature before covering and placing in the fridge to thicken further, about 4 hours or overnight.

Step 5

To assemble the parfaits, alternate layers of curd and yogurt in highball glasses and top with a few berries.

Yields 4 servings