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Nutty Banana Bread

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Aussies love their banana bread. My version gets flavor boosts from hazelnuts and coconut. Because it uses almond flour, making it gluten free, it won’t rise the way a flour-based loaf will and is more like a delicate torte.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces shelled hazelnuts
  • 2 cups almond flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3 very ripe bananas
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 extra-large eggs plus
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper, using enough for an overhang of 2 inches on the sides of the pan, and set aside. Heat a small frying pan and, when hot, toast the hazelnuts for 2 to 3 minutes until they become fragrant; remove from the heat and allow to cool, then roughly chop them.

Step 2

In a medium bowl, mix the almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a larger bowl, mash the bananas thoroughly with a fork, then mix in the olive oil, vanilla, sugar, whole eggs, and egg whites. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture, the hazelnuts, and the coconut. Transfer to the loaf pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a knife tip inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool slightly before lifting the loaf from the pan by grasping the sides of the parchment; transfer to a rack to finish cooling. Use a serrated knife for easier cutting.

Serves 10

Orange-Raspberry Muffins

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

The combination of olive oil and almond flour creates a tender crumb that rivals any flour-based batter and a muffin that’s infinitely more nutritious. I like to use “tulip-shaped” cupcake liners because you can fill them right up to the level of your baking tin for very tall muffins. Also, topping the batter with berries after filling the liners helps keep the fruit from falling to the bottom. 

Ingredients

  • 3 cups almond flour
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup sugar, divided use 
  • Freshly grated zest of 1 large orange
  • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
  • 6 eggs, separated
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla paste
  • 1 cup raspberries

Directions

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place tulip-shaped cupcake liners in the cups of a 12-muffin tin; set aside.

Step 2

In a large bowl, sift together the almond flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, 1/4 cup sugar, orange zest and juice, egg yolks, and vanilla. Fold in the flour mixture.

Step 3

In a very large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites on a low speed to break them up, about a minute. Once they start to foam, increase the speed to high and add the remaining sugar. Whip until the whites form stiff peaks, then use a large spatula to gently fold them into the almond flour mixture in 3 or 4 batches, rotating your mixing bowl as you move your spatula from the center out to the sides. Don’t overmix to avoid deflating the batter—a few streaks of whites are OK.

Step 4

Use a large ice cream scoop to fill the paper liners up to the level of your baking tin. Top with equal amounts of berries. Bake the muffins for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tip of a sharp knife comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yields 12 muffins

Peaches-and-Cream Tart

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This recipe layers pastry cream and peach slices on freshly baked puff pastry, topped with a jam glaze. Both the peaches and the cream can be made in advance. Though there are a few steps to assembling the tart, using packaged all-butter puff pastry makes it very easy. Do read labels because many puff pastry manufacturers use artificial ingredients and no real butter in their dough. Look for the Dufour brand for flaky goodness. Note: If you already have jam with seeds, just increase the amount to 3/4 cup and pass it through a fine sieve after heating.

Ingredients

For the pastry cream:

  • 4 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • Pinch of fine sea salt
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 2 cups whole milk 
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or paste

For the tart:

  • 8 medium ripe peaches, about 5 ounces each
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 package frozen puff pastry, about 14 ounces, thawed according to label directions
  • All-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour 
  • 1 medium egg
  • 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

For serving:

Directions

To make the pastry cream, in a heat-safe bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Add the yolks and whisk until the mixture is light yellow. 

Step 1

Place the milk and the heavy cream in a saucepan and scald them—you should see a light skin start to form as the liquid reaches a simmer, but don’t let it come to a boil. Vigorously whisk 1/4 cup of the liquid into the egg mixture, and then slowly whisk in the rest. Transfer the mixture back to the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Let it boil for 3 minutes as you continue to whisk; it should become quite thick. 

Step 2

Remove from the heat and transfer to a glass serving bowl, then whisk in the olive oil and vanilla. Let it cool slightly, then press a round of parchment paper over the surface to prevent a skin from forming and chill until cold and firm, about 3 hours or overnight.

Step 3

When you’re ready to assemble the tart, cut each peach into thin slices and place them in a large baking dish or on a wide plate. Drizzle on the honey and olive oil; toss gently to coat and set aside. 

Step 4

Heat your oven to 425°F. Scatter a handful of flour on a 17-inch by 13-inch piece of parchment paper and unfold the thawed dough on top of it. Use a rolling pin to roll out the seams; trim as needed to make a neat rectangle—it should be roughly 13 inches by 10 inches. Slide the parchment paper with the dough onto a rimmed sheet pan. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, score a 1/2-inch border within the edges of the puff pastry without cutting completely through the dough. Prick the inner rectangle of dough lightly with a fork, making an even pattern across the surface. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. 

Step 5

Whisk the egg in a small bowl and lightly brush it over the pastry. Bake the tart until it’s puffed and golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Let it cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes (it may deflate a bit). Spread the pastry cream over the inner rectangle, using an offset spatula to smooth the surface. Top with even rows of peach slices. Briefly warm the jam in your microwave and use a clean pastry brush to dab it over the peaches.

Serve right away.

Serves 10

Iced Olive Oil, Lemon and Blueberry Loaf

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This moist and flavorful cake is great for dessert, breakfast, or an afternoon treat.

Ingredients

For the loaf:

  • 2 extra-large eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup medium or bold extra-virgin olive oil
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
  • 1 1/2 cups pastry flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 cups blueberries

For the icing:

  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, or more as needed
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until no whites are visible, then slowly whisk in the sugar, followed by the yogurt, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then fold into the egg-oil mixture with a spatula until combined. Fold in all but a handful of the blueberries.

Step 2

Pour the batter into the loaf pan and level the top with the spatula, being sure to get the batter into all the corners. Sprinkle on the remaining blueberries and bake for 60 to 65 minutes, depending on your oven—it’s done when the point of dinner knife inserted in the center comes out clean, except for a possible trace of blueberry. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Step 3

Once the cake is only barely warm, make the icing by whisking the confectioners’ sugar, olive oil, and lemon juice until incorporated. It should be thick—add more sugar if needed. Use a small offset spatula to spread it over the top of the cake.

Serves 8 to 10