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Holiday Baking with EVOO: Rosemary-Lemon Glazed Bundt Cake

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

I adapted this bundt cake recipe from one by Chef William Prunty. The results are a dense, moist cake with a zingy lemon flavor and an aromatic rosemary glaze. This is a lovely edition to a holiday buffet or an easily transportable hostess gift when paired with a citrus infused olive oil, a pretty bundt pan, and the recipe, which follows.

You’ll need…

For the cake:
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup We Olive Meyer Lemon olive oil
2 cups cake flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt

For the glaze:
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

To Make:
1. Preheat the oven to 325° and oil and flour a 10-cup bundt pan. In a bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar at medium-high speed until smooth. Gradually beat in the lemon olive oil until creamy, about 2 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk the cake flour with the baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture in 3 batches, beating on medium speed between additions.
2. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the center of the oven for about 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a rack.

3. For the Glaze, mix confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice and rosemary in small saucepan. Bring to boil on medium heat.Reduce heat to low; simmer 1 minute. Spoon glaze over cake. Cool completely before serving.

Note: The olive oil cake can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Tags: Baking, meyer lemon olive oil
Posted in Baking, Dessert, HEART HEALTHY, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Baking with EVOO: Gingerbread Cake

Monday, December 5th, 2011

I’ve been making this recipe from Martha Stewart for years now as it makes a great snack to have on hand for holiday guests. Alternatively, it’s a nice homemade gift when paired with a recipe card, olive oil and a pretty cake pan or spatula. Happy Holidays!

Gingerbread Cake made with California extra virgin olive oil

You’ll need:

¼ cup, plus 2 tablespoons fruity or buttery California extra virgin olive oil, such as We Olive Organic Taggiasca, Sevillano, or Arbequina, plus a little for the pan.
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans
1 cup boiling water
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 cup unsulfured molasses
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

To Make:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Oil and flour a 9-by-13-inch cake pan; set aside. In a bowl, combine boiling water and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl, sift together flour, ground spices, salt, and baking powder; set aside.
In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the olive oil and brown sugar until well combined. Beat in molasses and grated ginger, baking-soda mixture, and flour mixture. Beat in eggs.
Pour batter into prepared pan; bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares; dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Tags: Arbequina, arbequina olive oil
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Baking with Olive Oil: Cranberry Spice Cake

Monday, October 31st, 2011

Ever since I made this lemon cake back in June, I’ve been dreaming about olive oil baked goodies. The problem is that baking doesn’t come naturally to me. I can make a decent meal with my eyes closed and out of the oddest ingredients at that, but I can’t throw a cake together without a detailed instruction manual. So when I came across a recipe for Cranberry Spice Cake in the current issue of Bon Appetit by Karen DeMasco, I decided to give it a few tweaks and see if it was foolproof enough for me. It was moist, flavorful, and gone in about 20 minutes. It’s versatile enough to serve as dessert with ice cream or whipped cream or with coffee for brunch. Enjoy!

Cranberry Spice Cake – Serves 8

You’ll Need:
For the Cake…
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups (8 oz.) fresh (or frozen, thawed) cranberries
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup Blood Orange Olive Oil
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup apple cider

For the glaze…
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoon strained fresh orange juice

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Coat bottom and sides of cake pan with nonstick spray. Line bottom with parchment paper; coat paper with spray. Whisk flour and next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside. Pulse cranberries in a food processor until finely chopped but not puréed; set aside.

2. Stir sugar, brown sugar, and blood orange olive oil in another medium bowl to blend. Add eggs one at a time, stirring to blend between additions. Whisk in sour cream and vanilla.

3. Whisk in dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with cider in 2 additions and whisking to blend. Fold in chopped cranberries. Scrape butter into prepared pan; smooth top.

4. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a tester inserted into center of cake comes out almost clean, 1 hour–1 hour 10 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cake cool in pan for 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around inside of pan to release cake; turn out cake onto rack. Peel off parchment paper, then flip cake and let cool for 20 minutes.

5. Whisk powdered sugar and orange juice in a small bowl. Spread glaze over warm cake, allowing to drip down sides. Let stand until glaze becomes crackly, about 1 hour. Serve at room temperature.

Tags: blood orange olive oil
Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Dessert, Recipes, Thanksgiving | No Comments »

The Recipe Everyone Should Have

Saturday, July 16th, 2011

I have a recipe that I get asked for all the time. Actually, that’s not entirely accurate. I have a recipe that people ask me to make for them all the time. I try to explain how simple it is, that they just need to try it a couple of times and they’ll get the hang of it. But most people seem daunted by the task. The funny thing is, this recipe only contains 5 ingredients, one of which is water. The result of those 5 ingredients is perfection. Perfection in the form of a pizza. I have a dough recipe that I found many years ago in an issue of Cook’s Illustrated (those guys will never steer you wrong) and it has become a staple in our home (along with all of our friends that I make it for). I even have a friend that trades me wine for a cache of pizza dough that she can keep in freezer. I feel mildly guilty considering it costs all of a few bucks to make several pizzas worth and she keeps me stocked with Syrah. But, we’re both happy with our arrangement. And because this dough, and our pizza parties, has become legendary among friends, I’m sharing it with you today.

Pizza Dough
(makes enough for 3 medium pizzas)

You’ll need:
1/2 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
1 envelope instant yeast
1 1/4 cups water, room temp
2 T We Olive extra-virgin olive oil (see note), plus a little extra for oiling the bowl
4 cups bread flour, plus a little extra for dusting hands and work surface
1 1/2 t salt
A food processor

Note – I’ve used all kinds of extra-virgin olive oils in this recipe, from our robust Tuscan Varietal Blend, to our milder Arbequina. If you want to add a little extra flavor to the dough itself, the Fresh Garlic is fantastic.

1. Measure the 1/2 cup warm water into a 2-cup measuring cup. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let it stand until swollen, about 5 minutes. Add enough room temp water to equal 1 3/4 cups, then add the oil.

2. Process the flour and salt in a large food processor, pulsing to combine. Continue pulsing while pouring the liquid ingredients (holding back a few tablespoons) through the feed tube. If the dough does not readily form a ball, add the remaining liquid and continue to pulse until a ball forms. Process the dough until smooth and elastic, about 30 seconds longer.

3. The dough will be a bit tacky, so use a rubber spatula to turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead by hand for a few strokes to form a smooth, round ball. Put the dough in a deep oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, 1.5 – 2 hours. Press the dough to deflate. Divide the dough into 3 pieces (cutting with a knife). You can either use it right away or freeze the pieces in separate airtight containers for up to several weeks.

Tags: arbequina olive oil, garlic olive oil, tuscan olive oil
Posted in Appetizer, Baking, Entree, Pizza | No Comments »

My Favorite Pizza Toppings

Saturday, July 16th, 2011

Once you have the dough prepared, there are literally endless ways to top this crispy, chewy crust perfection. I’ve outlined the basic baking instructions below with some of my favorite toppings.

To make the pizza:
1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees for at least 30 minutes. You want the oven screaming hot when the pizza goes in so it cooks quickly and evenly. Rub a baking sheet or pizza pan with oil.

2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. I press the dough out by hand – no rolling pins or fancy air tosses. Place the dough ball in the center of the work surface and flatten the ball into a disk with the palms of your hands. Starting at the center of the disk and working outward, use your fingertips to press the dough until it is about a 1/2 inch thick.

3. Holding the dough center in place, stretch the dough outward. Rotate the dough a quarter turn and stretch again. Repeat until the dough is a diameter of about 12 inches.

4. Carefully lift the dough round and transfer it to your baking pan. If the dough loses its shape, adjust it gently on the pan.

5. Brush your pizza with olive oil and add toppings.

6. Bake until pizza begins to brown in spots, about 6 – 10 minutes. Remove from oven, cut into wedges and serve.

My favorite toppings:

Fresh Basil Olive Oil with sliced Roma tomatoes and sliced mozzarella.

Fresh Garlic Olive Oil with prosciutto slices and grated Parmesan. When it comes out of the oven, I top it with arugula that’s been tossed with some olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper.

California Koroneiki Olive Oil with feta cheese, Black Olive Tapenade, roasted red peppers and mint.

These are just a handful of possibilities for a pizza night. Share your favorites in the comments section and don’t forget to enter our We Olive Facebook Recipe Contest with your best recipes featuring California extra-virgin olive oil!

Tags: balsamic vinegar, basil olive oil, garlic olive oil, tapenade
Posted in Baking, Entree, Recipes | No Comments »

Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Cake with Pistachios

Wednesday, June 29th, 2011

I’m not much of a baker. There’s a lot of measuring involved – which I don’t particularly care for. And if something goes awry, there’s not much chance you can salvage it. Given that I’m something of a free spirit in the kitchen (i.e. things often go awry), I tend to shy away from making pastry and sweets that employ complicated technique (i.e. more than a few steps). But every time I taste our Meyer Lemon Olive Oil, I can’t help but think about how delicious it would be in a cake. It’s so aromatic and well, lemony, that it deserves to be the star of a dessert. After poring over my cookbooks, I came up with a recipe that I’ve adapted from Colorado chef Ryan Hardy, and the results were spectacular. The cake is moist, nutty and dense and can be served as a dessert with vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream, or as a coffee cake at breakfast, since it’s not overly sweet. And since I had recipe success on the first try with no major disasters or meltdowns, you know it’s foolproof. Enjoy!

Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Cake with Pistachios
Serves 10

Cake
3/4 cup pine nuts
2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup unsalted raw pistachios (about 7 oz.)
6 T unsalted butter, softened, plus more for buttering the pan
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 t vanilla
1/4 cup plus 2 T We Olive Meyer Lemon Extra Virgin Olive Oil2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 t salt

Syrup:
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 2 lemons
1/4 cup sugar
2 T water

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch round cake pan, line the bottom with parchment paper and butter the paper. In a food processor, pulse the pine nuts with 2/3 cup of the pistachios until finely ground.

2. In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium speed until it’s the texture of moist sand. Add the eggs one by one, beating well between additions. Add the lemon juice and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add the olive oil in a thin stream, beating until well combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the ground nuts, flour, and salt. Scrape the lemon cake batter into the prepared pan.

3. Bake the cake for about 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto the rack and peel off the parchment paper. Invert the cake again onto a serving plate.

4. Meanwhile, toast the remaining 1/2 cup of pistachios in a pie plate for 8 minutes until fragrant.

5. In a small saucepan, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and water and simmer over moderate heat just until the sugar is dissolved. Pour the lemon syrup over the warm cake and sprinkle with toasted pistachios. Let the cake stand for an hour, then cut into wedges and serve.

Tags: meyer lemon olive oil
Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Dessert | 2 Comments »

Olio Nuovo and Lemon Cookies

Monday, November 29th, 2010

A cookie recipe that calls for no butter or vegetable shortening?

This one uses olive oil, specifically new olive oil. While you might not be able to get brand new, freshly cold-pressed olive oil, extra-virgin cold-pressed will work.

You can taste the olive oil in the cookies, but it is a subtle, nicely balanced flavor.

Olio Nuovo and Lemon Cookies

2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup We Olive Olio Nuovo
1/8 teaspoon pure lemon oil, such as Boyajian bran
4 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with baking parchment or silicone baking sheets.

Sift together the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda into medium-sized bowl. In another small bowl, stir together the olive oil, lemon oil, lemon zest and lemon juice. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, then stir until mixture comes together in a uniform mass. Using your hands, roll dough into balls 1-inch in diameter. Sprinkle on a little sugar and roll the cookie balls gently in your hands to distribute it. You don’t want a heavily coated cookie, just enough sugar to give them a little sparkle. Place them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart.

Bake cookies 1 sheet at a time until they are just cooked through, the bottoms lightly browned, between 12-15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let them cool completely. Pack them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Makes about 18 cookies.

Adapted from “The Olive Harvest Cookbook”

Tags: baking soda, flour, lemon oil, lemon zest, Olio Nuovo, sugar
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We Olive Mission Olive Oil Cake with Lemon, Rosemary and Mascarpone

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

Recipe adapted from Edible Aria & Ina Garten

Tart and savory with just a hint of sweetness, this luscious cake gains body and complexity from We Olive Mission Extra Virgin Olive Oil combined with cultured butter, pastured eggs, freshly-squeezed lemon juice, rosemary and raw honey. Try it topped with homemade mascarpone or a simple lemon glaze..

Olive Oil Cake with Lemon, Rosemary and Mascarpone

For the Mascarpone

1 pint raw, fresh cream (ultra-pasteurized cream will not work)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon filtered water

Heat the cream in a double-boiler until it reaches 185 degrees. Mix water and lemon juice and add to the cream; it should thicken right away. Keep mixture at 185 degree for a full 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Transfer mixture to a bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight. Transfer to a cheesecloth-lined strainer set over a clean bowl, refrigerate allow to separate 12-24 hours. Mascarpone will keep in the refrigerator for about 1 week.

For the Cake (adapted from a recipe by Ina Garten)

1 cup flour
1/2 cup sprouted spelt flour
4 oz cultured butter at room temperature
1/4 cup raw honey
2 large pastured eggs at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
3/4 cup We Olive Mission Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup preserved lemon peel, minced

Cream the butter and honey together in a bowl until fluffy. Beat in the lemon peel and eggs, one at a time.

Sift together the flours, baking powder & soda and salt in a bowl. Combine the We Olive Mission Olive Oil and lemon juice in another bowl and alternately add the flour and olive oil mixtures to the honey butter mixture.

Lightly grease an 8×8 glass dish with We Olive Mission Olive Oil, then pour in the batter and smooth with a spatula. Bake in a 350-degree oven until a toothpick comes out clean, about 40 minutes.

Let cake cool at least 15 minutes, then serve topped with mascarpone and garnished with slivered lemon peel and a sprig of rosemary.

Tags: butter, cake, cream, eggs, honey, lemon juice, Mascarpone, olive oil, rosemary, spelt flour, We Olive Mission Olive Oil
Posted in Baking, Dessert, Menu, Recipes | No Comments »

Pumpkin Streusel Bread

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

Recipe from “Olive Oil Baking”

Topping
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon We Olive extra virgin olive oil

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ teaspoon of salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon allspice
1 cup canned pumpkin
½ cup We Olive extra virgin olive oil
2 eggs, beaten
¼ cup milk or water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and coat a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray or oil. In a small
bowl, combine all four topping ingredients and rub together with fingers until crumbs form.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, sugar, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and allspice.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the pumpkin, olive oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients
and combine, but do not overmix.
4. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle topping evenly over the surface of the loaf.
5. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the very center of the loaf comes
out clean.
6. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then remove and let cool on a rack.

Makes one large loaf.

Tags: pumpkin
Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Dessert, HEART HEALTHY, Recipes | No Comments »

EVOO and Yogurt Loaf Cake

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

Recipe from Serious Eats

- makes 8 servings -

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
1/2 cup plain organic whole milk yogurt
3 large organic eggs
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup Stone Edge Organic Manzanillo Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Procedure

Getting ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter an 8 1/2-x-4 1/2-inch loaf pan, place the pan on a lined baking sheet and set aside. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt and keep near by.

1. Put the sugar and zest in a medium bowl and rub the ingredients together until the sugar is fragrant. Whisk in the yogurt, eggs and vanilla. When the mixture is well blended, gently whisk in the dry ingredients. Switch to a spatula and fold in the oil. The batter will be thick and shiny. Scrape it into the pan and smooth the top.

2. Bake the cake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until it is golden and starts to come away from the sides of the pan; a knife inserted into the center of the cake will come out clean. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then run a knife between the cake and the sides of the pan. Unmold and cool to room temperature right-side up.

Storing: You can keep the cake at room temperature for at least 4 days or freeze it for up to 2 months

Tags: egg, lime, Stone Edge Manzanillo, vanilla, yogurt
Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Dessert, HEART HEALTHY, Organic, Recipes | No Comments »

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