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All-American Gingerbread Cookies

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

The dough for these quintessential holiday cookies can be made a day in advance. After baking and cooling, glaze them with simple icing or use thicker royal icing to create fun patterns. 

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon Ground Buffalo Ginger Root
  • 1 tablespoon ground Heirloom Vietnamese Cinnamon
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg 
  • 1 tablespoonallspice
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons freshly ground Vine-Ripened Black Peppercorns
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons dry mustard 
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour, more if needed 
  • 2 cups white whole wheat flour 
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature 
  • 1-1/4 cups dark brown sugar 
  • 2 large eggs 
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup molasses 

Directions

Step 1

In a small bowl, whisk together the ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, black pepper, and dry mustard. In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, then whisk in the spice mix (this helps to ensure even distribution).

Step 2

Cream the butter and sugar until light and smooth. Beat in the eggs, olive oil, and molasses. When fully incorporated, add the flour mixture at a very low speed, in two or three batches, and mix until a dough forms. If the dough is too wet, add more all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Transfer the dough to a large piece of parchment paper and flatten it, then wrap it up in the paper and chill until firm, about 3 hours. 

Step 3

To make the cookies, heat your oven to 350°F. Working with half the dough at a time, roll it out on a large piece of parchment paper dusted with flour to about 1/4-inch thick. Use cookie cutters to make your desired shapes and a large metal spatula to transfer the cookies to ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes depending on size. Cool for 10 minutes before transferring the cookies to racks to finish cooling. Ice as desired.

Yields approximately 50 3-inch cookies 

Lemon Mousse with Blueberry Compote

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Calamansi Vinegar adds depth to the lemon curd that’s then folded into whipped cream for this silky mousse, and it imparts just the right amount of tang to the berry compote. Both the mousse and the compote can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Layer any extra compote with yogurt for breakfast the next day!

Ingredients

For the compote:

  • 4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, divided
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon Calamansi Vinegar
  • Pinch of fine salt
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil  

For the curd:

  • 3 large or 5 small lemons
  • 2 large eggs, plus 1 yolk
  • 3/4 cup sugar 
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch 
  • 2 tablespoons Calamansi Vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil  

For the mousse: 

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

Optional garnish: 

  • Fresh lemon zest 

Directions

Step 1

Make the curd: Zest the lemons with a microplane grater, and then juice them—you should have 1 or more tablespoons of zest and 1 cup of juice. Some pulp is fine to include in the juice, but remove any seeds.

Step 2

In a saucepan, whisk the eggs and yolk thoroughly, and then whisk in, one ingredient at a time, the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and zest, vinegar, vanilla, and salt. Place the pan over medium heat and whisk constantly as it comes to a very low boil. Cook for 2 minutes, lowering the heat if necessary to prevent a rapid boil. The curd should be thick enough to coat the whisk.

Step 3

Remove from the heat. (If you see bits of egg white, use the blade of a spatula to press the curd through a fine strainer into a bowl.) Slowly whisk in the olive oil until completely blended. Pour the curd into a glass bowl or jar and allow it to come to room temperature before covering with plastic wrap and placing in the fridge to thicken further, about an hour. 

Step 4

Make the blueberry compote: Mix 3 cups blueberries, cornstarch, sugar, water, vinegar, and salt in a frying pan (this allows for more even cooking than a saucepan). Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the blueberries break up and the mixture thickens, about 3 to 5 minutes. While still warm (but not hot), fold in the olive oil and the last cup of berries. Let it come to room temperature before serving (refrigerate if not using within an hour).

Step 5

Make the mousse: Whip the cream and sugar until stiff. Gently fold in the lemon curd with a large spatula until mostly combined. Chill until ready to serve.

Step 6

To serve, spoon ample amounts of mousse into dessert bowls or glasses. Stir the compote, then place dollops randomly around the mousse. If desired, use a microplane grater to top each serving with lemon zest.

Yields 8 servings

Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

These cookies take inspiration from buttery shortbread. They come together in minutes, taste sublime, and pack in a good amount of fiber thanks to the whole wheat pastry flour, the hazelnuts, and even the chocolate! 

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup pastry flour
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 2 ounces roasted and skinned hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

Directions

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, and salt. Add the olive oil, chocolate, and hazelnuts, and mix with your hands to form a dough.

Step 2

Transfer the dough to a piece of parchment paper about 13 inches by 18 inches and pat it down to flatten it a bit. Top with another piece of parchment and roll out the dough to roughly a 10-inch square. Pop it in the fridge for about 20 minutes to firm up slightly. 

Step 3

Discard the top piece of parchment and use a serrated knife to cut the dough into 20 cookies. Carefully separate the cookies (use a small offset spatula if needed), putting about an inch of space between them.

Step 4

Slide the parchment with the cookies onto a large cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet halfway through. Let the cookies cool to room temperature before eating.

Yields 20 cookies

Tiramisù

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Though tiramisù originated in Italy in the late 1960s, it didn’t take long for it to gain a legion of fans in Oz, especially in Sydney, where it’s said to have first appeared on menus in the ’70s. Because of concern about eating raw eggs, this version leaves them out, but it is no less creamy. Amazon sells authentic ladyfingers from Italy; Vicenzovo is an excellent brand.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups freshly made decaf coffee, preferably espresso strength
  • 2 cups chilled heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 16 ounces mascarpone, at room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • About 24 ladyfingers
  • 2 ounces coarsely chopped dark chocolate
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions

Step 1

Make the coffee in a wide measuring cup; set aside to cool. Whip the cream and sugar until the cream is stiff. In a separate bowl, whisk the mascarpone and olive oil, then fold into the whipped cream.

Step 2

Choose a serving dish about 12x7x3 or 8 inches square (you can use any similar-sized dish, or go a little bigger if you have extra ladyfingers). Before you begin, map out a ladyfinger pattern in the dish so you’ll know the direction to line them up.

Step 3

To start, place a dollop of the cream in the bottom of the dish and use a spatula to spread it out a bit. One by one, quickly dunk a ladyfinger in the coffee and place it in the dish. Repeat until you have your first layer. Use a large spoon to dollop half the cream over the ladyfingers and a narrow offset spatula to smooth it out, getting into the corners. Sprinkle the chopped chocolate evenly on top. Repeat the sequence to make a second layer. Use a fine strainer or shaker-top jar to sprinkle the cocoa over the top. Cover and refrigerate from 4 hours to overnight.

Serves 8