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Millefoglie Two Ways

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Millefoglie, the Italian version of the French millefeuille, is extremely popular throughout the country. For chocolate lovers, I’m including a variation made with thin layers of chocolate in place of the puff pastry. Both get filled with a rich and creamy sweet cheese filling. The filling ingredients yield enough for either 8 pastry or 8 chocolate millefoglie; if you’re making both, double the quantities of the filling ingredients.

Ingredients

For the puff pastry layers:

  • All-purpose flour
  • 1 package frozen puff pastry, about 14 ounces, thawed as directed on the label

For the chocolate layers:

  • 12 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the cream filling:

  • 12 ounces mascarpone, room temperature
  • 8 ounces whole milk ricotta
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2/3 cup confectioner’s sugar, plus more for dusting
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Optional garnish: fresh berries

Directions

Step 1

For the puff pastry layers: Heat the oven to 425°F. Lightly flour a 18×15 piece of parchment paper and a rolling pin. Unfold the thawed dough on the parchment. Roll out the dough to a 16×12 rectangle. Cut the dough into 24 equal rectangles, about 2×4 each. Slip a cookie sheet under the parchment. Add a little space between the rectangles and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Remove from the fridge and bake until the pastries puff and turn golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before assembling.

Step 2

For the chocolate layers: Draw a 16×12 rectangle on a long piece of parchment, flip it over, and place on a cookie sheet; set aside. Place the chocolate pieces and olive oil in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 40 percent power for 3 minutes; repeat if not fully melted, checking every minute. Stir until smooth. Pour the melted chocolate on the parchment and, using a long offset spatula, spread it out to the edges of the drawn border. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes to slightly firm it, then use a very sharp chef’s knife to cut it into 24 equal rectangles, about 2×4 each.

Step 3

For the cream filling: Whip all the ingredients in a mixer or food processor until smooth and thick. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a 1-inch round tip, or simply fill a quart-size freezer bag and snip off one of the corners to pipe.

Step 4

To assemble, pipe two rows of dots of cream on each of 8 pieces of chocolate or puff pastry, top each with another piece of chocolate or puff pastry, pipe again, then top with a third piece of chocolate or puff pastry. Use a small strainer to dust the tops with confectioner’s sugar. Garnish with berries
if desired.

Serves 8

Mascarpone Mousse

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This is a melt-in-your-mouth mousse made without eggs. I love it topped with fresh passionfruit pulp, but since fresh fruits can be hard to find, I’ve included a rich sauce recipe that you can make with frozen pulp (with seeds) or purée (without seeds). Both the mousse and the sauce can be made early in the day or even the day before the big event.

Ingredients

For the mousse:

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 8 ounces mascarpone at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 14 ounces frozen passionfruit, defrosted
  • 2 large eggs plus 2 yolks 
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Optional: fresh berries

Directions

Step 1

To make the mousse, whip the cream until very firm, then whip in the rest of the ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Step 2

To make the sauce, in a medium saucepan, whisk together the cornstarch and sugar, then whisk in the passionfruit, eggs, and yolks. Place the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and cook at a low boil for 2 minutes; it should be thick.

Step 3

Off the heat, whisk in the olive oil, then let the sauce cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Step 4

To assemble, mound equal amounts of mousse in 6 elegant stemware glasses and top with spoonfuls of sauce and fresh berries, if desired.

Yields 6 servings

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