Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Explore Recipes Desserts

Black-and-White Cookies

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Why choose between vanilla and chocolate when you can have both? The iconic black-and-white cookie settles the age-old debate once and for all — a pillowy, cake-like base topped with two luscious glazes that are as striking to look at as they are to eat.

Ingredients

For the cookies: 

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 
  • 3/4 cup cake flour 
  • 1/4 cup golden or white whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder  
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt 
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 
  • 1 cup granulated sugar 
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large egg 
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
  • 1/3 cup sour cream 

For the glazes:

  • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted, more if needed
  • 7 tablespoons whole milk, divided use  
  • 2 tablespoons corn syrup 
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt 
  • 4 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted 
  • 2 ounces dark chocolate, melted

Directions

Step 1

Place an oven rack in the center position and preheat your oven to 350°F. Line 2 rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper; set aside. Combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl; set aside.

Step 2

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the olive oil, egg, and vanilla and mix until well blended. Turn off the machine and use a spatula to scrape up the bottom of the bowl to make sure no clumps of butter remain. 

Step 3

On the lowest speed, add half the flour mixture, then the sour cream, then the rest of the flour. Again, use the spatula to incorporate any batter stuck on the bottom of the bowl. Turn back on the mixer if needed to fully incorporate the flour. The batter will be thick.

Step 4

Use a 2¼” (¼-cup) ice cream scoop to form and release each cookie onto the sheet pans, evenly spacing 6 per pan. For the most even results, bake one sheet pan at a time in the middle rack. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan, and bake another 10 minutes, just until the cookie edges are barely browned. Cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Step 5

When the cookies are completely cooled, make the vanilla glaze. In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, 5 tablespoons milk, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt until smooth; it should be thick enough to drop from the whisk in a ribbon. If too thin, whisk in more confectioners’ sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. 

Step 6

Working one cookie at a time, use a thin offset spatula to glaze one half of each cookie, using about half of the vanilla glaze (reserve the rest for the chocolate glaze). Let the glaze set for about 15 minutes. Rinse and dry the spatula. 

Step 7

In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons of milk and a large spoonful of the vanilla glaze into the cocoa until smooth. Whisk in the melted chocolate, then scrape it into the bowl of reserved vanilla glaze. Whisk until smooth. Use the spatula to spread the chocolate glaze on the unglazed side of each cookie (don’t worry about being too exact with the dividing line). 

Step 8

Let the glaze set for 30 minutes before eating. Allow the cookies to dry completely, an hour or more, before storing them in a single layer in cookie tins.

Yields 12 cookies

Baked Churros with Two Sauces

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Traditional churros are deep-fried. For a lighter version, I’m baking them, with a sprinkling of sanding sugar, to create crispy puffs perfect for dipping in dulce de leche, chocolate sauce, or both! There are delicious brands of premade dulce de leche available online. But a very inexpensive way to make your own is the following oven hack—it’s an easy do-ahead technique (you’ll want it ready before you start on the churros themselves). My chocolate sauce, the quintessential churro dunk, is a thinner version of chocolate ganache (make it once the churros are in the oven).

Ingredients

For the dulce de leche:

  • One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

For the churros:

  • 1 1/4 cups water
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons sanding sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the chocolate sauce:

  • 4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
  • 4 ounces half-and-half

Directions

Step 1

For the dulce de leche: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Scrape the condensed milk into a pie plate and cover it tightly with foil, scrunching the edges under the lip of the pie plate to create a seal. Place the pie plate in a roasting pan and fill it with an inch of hot water. Place the roasting pan in the oven and bake for about 80 minutes. Carefully lift a corner of the foil to see if the color is a deep caramel brown; if not as dark as you like, return the pan to the oven for another 10 minutes. When done, carefully lift the pie plate from the roasting pan and let cool slightly before whisking the dulce de leche vigorously to remove any lumps. Transfer to a dipping bowl.

Step 2

For the churros: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment.

Step 3

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the water, olive oil, sugar, and vanilla. Bring to a boil on the stovetop. Add the flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until a dough ball has formed. Let cook, stirring, for about 1 minute. Off the heat, whisk in the egg (you can also do this in a food processor) until you get a smooth batter.

Step 4

Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 3/4-inch star nozzle. Pipe 3-inch lengths onto the parchment-covered pan, leaving about an inch between them. Mix the sanding sugar and cinnamon in a small dish and sprinkle generously over each churro. Bake for 25 minutes until golden and crispy.

Step 5

For the chocolate sauce: Place the chocolate
and half-and-half in a tall mug or small bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth.

Yields about 20 churros

Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Who doesn’t love chocolate chip cookies? This recipe transforms the classic formula by replacing half the butter with extra virgin olive oil and adding nutritious whole wheat flour and pecans, which lend a nutty crunch. For best results, bake only one sheet of cookies at a time. This recipe makes a large batch. If you only need a smaller one, put one dough log in the freezer for the future. 

Ingredients

  • 1-1/2 cups cake flour 
  • 1-1/2 cups bread flour 
  • 3/4 cup white or golden whole wheat flour 
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 6 ounces unsalted butter, softened 
  • 1-1/4 cups brown sugar
  • 1 cup sugar 
  • 2 large eggs 
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla  
  • 1 pound dark or bittersweet chocolate chunks 
  • 10 ounces pecan halves

Directions

Step 1

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and place next to your mixer or mixing bowl.

Step 2

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl and a hand mixer on medium speed, blend the butter and sugars until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, then the olive oil and vanilla. On the lowest speed, add the flour mixture and beat until no traces of flour remain, about 20 seconds, then mix in the chocolate and pecans until evenly distributed, about another 20 seconds. 

Step 3

Divide the dough between two long pieces of parchment paper and shape each into a thick log, about 3 inches in diameter. Roll up each log in its parchment and tuck under the ends. Wrap each log separately in foil, then refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.

Step 4

When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F. Slice one log into 10 disks and transfer to a rimmed sheet pan lined with parchment. Bake on a rack in the lower third of your oven until lightly brown, about 16 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Repeat with the second log. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before eating and let cool completely before storing in cookie tins. 

Yields 20 oversized cookies

Pistachio Layer Cake

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter


Pistachio-based cake layers are filled and iced with a whipped white chocolate ganache. The thin layer of raspberry preserves is a great counterpoint to the sweetness of the chocolate. Use a coffee bean or nut grinder to turn raw (unroasted and unsalted) pistachios into a ground powder. Note: If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, see the Healthy Ingredient Spotlight in our weekly newsletter for alternatives. 

Ingredients

For the frosting:

  • 12 ounces white chocolate
  • 1-1/2 cups heavy cream

For the cake layers:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 ounces unsalted butter, well softened
  • 1/2 cup olive oil 
  • 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup finely ground pistachios from about 4 ounces of raw nuts
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

To assemble:

  • 1/2 cup raspberry preserves
  • 2 ounces pistachios, coarsely chopped

Directions

Step 1

Start by making the frosting. Place the chocolate in a glass bowl. Heat the cream just to a simmer and pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 3 minutes, then whisk until smooth (if the heat of the cream wasn’t enough to melt all the chocolate, you can microwave the bowl for 30 seconds, then stir). Chill in the fridge for 4 hours to firm up. 

Step 2

Meanwhile, make the cake layers. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper; set aside.

Step 3

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

Step 4

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream the butter, olive oil, and sugar until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, then the buttermilk, ground pistachios, and vanilla. Whisk in the dry ingredients, then use a spatula to be sure all the flour is well incorporated.

Step 5

Divide the batter between the two pans and bake for 30 minutes or until the tip of a sharp knife inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean (rotate the pans halfway through for even baking). Let cool to room temperature.

Step 6

Ater the frosting has chilled, whip it on high speed until it thickens to frosting consistency, about 1 minute. Spread about 1/3 over one of the cake layers. Spread the raspberry preserves on the underside of the other layer, then stack it on top of the bottom layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle the top with the chopped pistachios.

Yields 12 servings