Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Explore Recipes Desserts Page 9

Chocolate Olive Oil Loaf

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This cake is delicious as an afternoon treat or with a scoop of coffee or vanilla (or both!) ice cream for dessert.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose or pastry flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted to remove lumps
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 extra-large eggs
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Step 1

Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9 x 5 loaf pan with olive oil and use a piece of parchment paper to line the bottom and long sides. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt. In a second, larger bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs until well blended and then whisk in the yogurt, followed by the olive oil, milk, and vanilla. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture, folding with a spatula as you go, until incorporated. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and use a thin offset spatula to spread it into the corners of the pan and smooth the top (the batter is thick).

Step 2

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, depending on your oven—it’s done when the point of a dinner knife inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then lift out the loaf using the sides of the parchment paper. Let finish cooling on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 12

No-Muss, No-Fuss Chocolate Donuts

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Forget deep frying and waiting for a yeasted dough to rise—these chocolate treats are ready in just a few minutes. Enjoy as is, with a dusting of confectioner’s sugar, or with this simple yet rich chocolate glaze.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
  • 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa 
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 6 tablespoons Greek yogurt
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional glaze:

  • 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly coat two 6-cavity donut pans with olive oil. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

Step 2

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy, then add the sugar and whisk until incorporated. Whisk in the yogurt, olive oil, milk, and vanilla. Fold in the dry ingredients. 

Step 3

Use a large spoon or a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip to fill the donut pans. Bake for 10 minutes or until springy to the touch. Allow to cool in the pans, and then glaze if desired.

Step 4

For the glaze, place 5 ounces of the chocolate in a small, microwave-safe glass bowl and melt at 50 percent power for 3 minutes; repeat if needed until the chocolate is almost fully melted. Add the last ounce of chocolate and let sit on the counter for 2 minutes to cool down; then stir until smooth. Stir in the olive oil until fully blended. Dip the top of each donut into the chocolate and then place on a cookie sheet to firm up.

Yields 12 donuts

Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Cupcakes

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

These cupcakes cake are so rich that they don’t need any icing, but if you want to gild the lily, frost them with vanilla buttercream for a two-flavor sensation.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose or pastry flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder 
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1-1/2 cups sugar 
  • 2 extra-large eggs 
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt 
  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup milk 
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 12 ounces chocolate chips

Directions

Step 1

Heat your oven to 350°F. Prep a 12-muffin pan with paper liners or lightly coat with some olive oil. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt. In a second, larger bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs until well blended and then whisk in the yogurt, followed by the olive oil, milk, and vanilla. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture, folding with a spatula as you go, until mostly incorporated. Add about 10 ounces of chips and finish folding all the ingredients together. Use an ice cream scoop to fill the cupcake liners, then sprinkle the tops with the remaining chips.

Step 2

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, depending on your oven—the cupcakes are done when the point of a knife inserted in the center of a few cupcakes comes out almost clean (there may be melted chocolate from the chips, but shouldn’t be wet batter). 

Yields 12 servings

Lemon and Olive Oil Tart

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Extra virgin olive oil is featured twice in this lovely lemon tart—in the crust and the filling. But if you’re short on time (or don’t own a tart pan), pour the lemony filling into a prepared graham cracker crust before baking.

Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 5 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon table salt
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons water

For the filling:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon table salt
  • 3 large eggs, plus 3 additional egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Step 1

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350°F.

Step 2

Make the crust: Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in bowl. Add the oil and water and stir until the dough forms. (Do not overwork.) Using your hands, crumble three-fourths of the dough over the bottom of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough to an even thickness in the bottom of the pan. Crumble the remaining dough and scatter it evenly around edge of the pan, then press the crumbled dough into the fluted rim to achieve an even thickness. Place the pan on a rimmed sheet pan and bake until the crust is golden brown and firm to the touch, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

Step 3

About 5 minutes before the crust is finished baking, make the filling: Whisk the sugar, flour, and salt in a medium saucepan until combined. Whisk in the eggs and yolks until no streaks of egg remain. Whisk in the lemon zest and juice. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly and scraping the sides and bottom of the saucepan, until the mixture thickens slightly and registers 160°F, 5 to 8 minutes.

Step 4

Off the heat, whisk in the olive oil until incorporated. Strain the curd through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Pour the curd into the warm tart shell.

Step 5

Bake until the filling is set and barely jiggles when the pan is shaken, 8 to 12 minutes. Let the tart cool completely on a wire rack, at least 2 hours. Remove the outer metal ring of the tart pan. Slide a thin metal spatula between the tart and the pan bottom, then carefully slide the tart onto a serving platter. Cut the tart into wedges, wiping the knife clean between cuts, if necessary, and serve.

Serves 8 — Recipe adapted from peteandgerrys.com