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Triple Berry Ice Cream

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Luscious and refreshing with chunks of frosty berries, this fruit- and EVOO-infused dessert is an ice cream lover’s dream. Ice cream isn’t complicated to make with a machine to churn it for you. If you have a KitchenAid stand mixer, buying its ice cream attachment is a cost-effective option; the bowl, as with other brands that don’t have a built-it compressor, needs 24 hours in the freezer before use.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 3/4 cup sugar, divided use
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups mixed blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries, plus more for garnish if desired 
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Step 1

Make the ice cream base. Heat the heavy cream and half-and-half in a saucepan over medium heat until it reaches a simmer and forms a skin on the surface. Off the heat, whisk in 1/2 cup sugar, the salt, and the vanilla, whisking until the sugar is fully incorporated. Let the base come to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold (it can be made up to 3 days in advance).

Step 2

Just before you’re ready to make the ice cream, hull the strawberries and cut them into 1/2-inch dice. Add them to a bowl with the rest of the berries and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Toss well, then use a potato masher or pestle to mash the fruit just a bit. Fold in the olive oil and set aside. 

Step 3

Give the ice cream base a quick whisk, pour into your ice cream maker, and turn on the machine. Once the ice cream holds its shape, add in the berries with all their juices and finish churning. You can enjoy the ice cream as a soft serve after churning or, for a firmer consistency, transfer to a freezer-safe container and place in the freezer for 2 hours or more. Before serving, garnish portions with more berries if desired.

Yields 8 or more servings 

Lime Mousse

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Lime is the perfect counterpoint to the richness of heavy cream. This dessert comes together in minutes.

Ingredients

  • Zest and juice of 2 limes
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar or sweetener of choice
  • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Step 1

Reserve 1 teaspoon of the lime zest. Place the heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl with a hand mixer. Beat on low speed, then gradually increase to high. Whip until the cream reaches the soft peak stage, then add in the rest of the ingredients and whip just to combine. Refrigerate the bowl for 1 hour — it will firm up more as it chills.

Step 2

To serve, spoon the mousse into 4 glasses and garnish with the reserved zest.

Serves 4

Alfajores

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Recipes for these sandwich cookies vary from country to country: They’re thin and crisp in Chile, thick and soft in Argentina. Mine is a happy compromise that will practically melt in your mouth! Serve them plain, rolled in coconut as suggested below, dusted with confectioner’s sugar, or go all out and dip the assembled cookies in melted chocolate! Note: Dulce de leche is available at most fine food stores and online. Choose “repostero” or pastry-quality dulce de leche because it’s a thicker variety that holds its shape.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, well softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 14 ounces dulce de leche repostero
  • 1 cup unsweetened grated coconut

Directions

Step 1

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

Step 2

In the bowl of a standing mixer or a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add the olive oil, egg yolks, and vanilla, scraping down the bowl as needed to fully combine. On the lowest speed, add the flour mixture and mix until incorporated. It will be crumbly.

Step 3

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper and, using your fingers, press the dough crumbs together as needed to form the dough into a rectangle about the size of your hand. Chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Step 4

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Step 5

On a lightly floured countertop with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to about
a 1/4-inch thickness and cut out 24 rounds with
a 2-inch cookie cutter. Transfer them to one of the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 12 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through. The cookies should be firm, but don’t let them brown. Use a spatula to transfer them to a cooling rack.

Step 6

While the first sheet is baking, press the remaining dough into a ball and roll it out. Cut out another 24 cookies and transfer them to the second cookie sheet. Bake once the first batch is done.

Step 7

To fill, mound a generous tablespoon of the dulce de leche in the center of one cookie (a 1-inch mini ice cream scoop works great). Top it with another cookie to make a sandwich, pressing down gently to spread the filling out to the edges. Repeat with the rest of the cookies.

Step 8

Place the coconut in a small bowl and roll the edges of each cookie to coat.

Makes 24 sandwich cookies

Double Strawberry Mousse

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This dessert features strawberries in the mousse and in the topping. The berries are first macerated — tossed with sugar and allowed to sit — to draw out and intensify the fruit’s flavors.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds fresh strawberries 
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • Optional: 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar 

Directions

Step 1

Hull the strawberries, then dice them and place in a large glass bowl. Add the granulated sugar and toss well; set aside for 30 minutes. Drizzle on the olive oil and mix well. Reserve 1/2 cup of the berries, cover, and refrigerate. Place the rest in a food processor and run the machine until the berries are puréed. You should have about 1-1/2 cups.

Step 2

Place the heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl with a hand mixer. Beat on low speed, then gradually increase to high. Whip until the cream reaches medium (not stiff) peaks, then use a spatula to fold in the strawberry purée. Taste and add the confectioners’ sugar if desired. Serve right away or refrigerate the mousse in the mixing bowl for up to 4 hours — it will firm up more as it chills.

Step 3

To serve, spoon equal portions of the mousse into 8 goblets or bowls and garnish with equal amounts of the reserved berries.

Serves 8