Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Explore Recipes Desserts Page 16

Apple Sauté

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

More elegant than a baked apple yet healthier (and faster to make) than apple pie, this sautéed dish is a great way to satisfy a sophisticated sweet tooth. If you want to indulge even further, it’s amazing over a scoop of rich vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients

For the apple sauté

  • 8 -10 shelled almonds
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 2 Macoun, Granny Smith, or Gala apples, cored
  • 1 tablespoon walnut or grapeseed oil
  • 1/2 cup apple cider, a liqueur like Poire Williams, or a sweet wine like Sauternes 
  • 1/2 teaspoon All-American Gingerbread Spice (recipe below)
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
  • Cinnamon, preferably Vietnamese, to taste

For the All-American Gingerbread Spice

  • 1 tablespoon whole cloves 
  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon, preferably Vietnamese
  • 2 tablespoons allspice 
  • 2 tablespoons ground ginger
  • 1 tablespoon grated nutmeg 
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Step 1

Toast the almonds in a small sauté pan for 3-5 minutes. When they’re cool enough to handle, chop coarsely and set aside. Using a microplane grater, zest the lemon half, setting aside the zest. On a cutting board, slice the apples horizontally into circles about one-half-inch thick, and then squeeze the juice from the lemon half over them. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the apples in one layer (do this in batches if needed to avoid crowding). Sauté for 2-3 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the slices have released all their juices and feel tender when pricked with a knife tip, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spatula, lift the apples from the pan and transfer to a serving plate. Add the lemon zest, cider/liqueur/wine, gingerbread spice, and vanilla to the pan and rapidly boil down to a syrup, whisking constantly, about 3-5 minutes. Pour the sauce over the apples, and top with the chopped almonds and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Step 2

Pulverize the cloves in a coffee bean grinder and transfer to a small bowl along with the other spices. Whisk to combine and funnel into an airtight glass jar. Note: Wipe out the grinder very well to remove all traces of cloves.

Yields 2 servings.

Italian Apple Olive Oil Cake

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Rustic and moist, this Ligurian cake deserves a place in your olive oil baking repertoire. It will infuse your kitchen with the scents of late fall—apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg. No frosting is required, but we wouldn’t say no to a drizzle of warm honey or a scoop of premium vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients

  • 2 large Gala apples, peeled and finely chopped
  • Orange juice to soak apples in
  • 3 cups all-purpose our
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2/3 cup golden raisins, soaked in warm water or apple cider for 15 minutes
  • Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Step 2

Place the chopped apples in a bowl and add orange juice—just enough juice to toss and coat apples to prevent browning.

Step 3

In a large mixing bowl sift together the our, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.

Step 4

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, add the sugar and extra virgin olive oil. Mix on low for 2 minutes until well-combined. While the mixer is on, add the eggs, one at a time, and continue to mix another 2 minutes until mixture increases in volume (it should be thicker but still runny).

Step 5

In the large bowl with the dry ingredients, make a well in the middle of the our mixture. Add the wet mixture (the sugar and olive oil mixture) into the well. Using a wooden spoon, stir until just blended; it will be a thick batter (do not add anything to loosen it).

Step 6

Drain the raisins (which have been soaking in warm water) completely; rid the apples of excess juice by blotting them with paper towels. Add both raisins and apples to the batter and mix with spoon until well-combined. Again, batter will be fairly thick.

Step 7

Line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper. Spoon the thick batter into the pan, and level the top with the back of a wooden spoon.

Step 8

Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Step 9

Cool completely in the pan. When ready, simply lift parchment up to transfer the cake to a plate or cake stand. Dust with confectioner’s sugar before serving.

Serves 6 to 8 — Recipe adapted from themediterraneandish.com

Maine Downeast Pumpkin Bread

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Make a double batch of this moist bread, as it freezes well and is great for sharing with family and friends. If you’re a “from scratch” kind of person, you can make your own pumpkin purée from pie pumpkins.

Ingredients

  • One 15-ounce can pumpkin purée (not pie filling)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and our three 7 x 3 loaf pans.

Step 2

In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, olive oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the our, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.

Step 3

Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Serves 24 — Recipe from allrecipes.com