Photo: [LINK]
Summer and desserts are a match made in culinary heaven, offering a delightful array of flavors and textures that perfectly complement the season's warmth. As the days grow longer and the sun shines brighter, indulging in sweet treats becomes a ritual of joy and relaxation. The joy of summer desserts lies not only in their flavors but also in their ability to evoke a sense of carefree bliss, whether shared at a lively backyard barbecue or enjoyed as a solitary treat.
As we celebrate the season, these desserts serve as a reminder of summer's indulgent and playful side! Speaking of playful, did you know olive oil can also be used in making desserts? Check out the recipes we’ve gathered below!
Olive Oil Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookies [1]
Photo: [LINK]
INGREDIENTS
- 2 1/2 cups bread flour or all-purpose
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chopped
- 1/2 cup milk chocolate chopped
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chopped
- 3/4 cup Borges Extra Light Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 Tbsp heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- Maldon sea salt for sprinkling
INSTRUCTIONS
- Whisk the flour, salt and soda together in a medium-sized bowl. Add the chopped chocolate and toss to coat.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sugars and oil together.
- Add the egg and yolks to the mixing bowl and whisk until fully incorporated and glossy, about 30 seconds. Add the cream and vanilla and whisk again.
- Add the dry ingredients, and with a silicone spatula, mix until just combined.
- Using a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop (or 1/4 cup measuring cup) for large cookies – my personal favorite – or a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop (for smaller ones), place balls of the dough on to a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and place the sheet in the refrigerator for 24 to 72 hours (this rest contributes wonderfully to the cookies’ chewy texture; but if you cannot wait, freeze them for at least an hour so they don’t spread too much when baked).
- When ready to bake off the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F. Place 12 balls of dough (if making smaller cookies, less if making larger ones) on a parchment-lined sheet, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and bake for about 12 minutes (I’m also hugely in favor of slightly under baking cookies) rotating at the halfway point. Once removed from the oven, slightly flatten each cookie with a spatula (final thing I’m hugely in favor of: flat-ish thick and chewy cookies, as opposed to puffy ones), let cool briefly and enjoy.
Bacon Cheddar Olive Oil Muffins [2]
Photo: [LINK]
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup Borges Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 Tbsp light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (180 grams)
- 1 cup diced cooked bacon
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Generously grease the wells of the muffin pan with cooking spray or softened butter.
- Whisk the oil and sugar together in a large bowl.
- Whisk in the eggs one at a time and then the buttermilk,
- Sprinkle the baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper into the bowl one at a time, vigorously whisking after each.
- Gently fold in the flour, cheese and bacon with a flexible spatula.
- Fill the muffin tins 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan and reduce the temp to 350°F and bake for another 5 minutes, or so. until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean or with a moist crumb.
- Remove the muffins from the pan as soon as they are cool enough to touch by running a butter knife around the edges of each one. Serve warm with salted butter. The muffins are best the day they are made (and preferably warm from the oven) but can be stored, in an air-tight container on the counter, for a few days, or frozen. Reheat in a 350°F oven briefly before serving.
Blood Orange Olive Oil Upside Down [3]
Photo: [LINK]
INGREDIENTS
- Nonstick cooking spray, for the cake pan
- 1/3 cup (75 grams) light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) water
- 2 blood oranges, divided
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) superfine/caster sugar
- 1/3 cup (90 milliliters) plain yogurt
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) Borges Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 1/3 cups (165 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- Creme fraiche, for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease a round loose-bottomed 9-inch (23-centimeter) cake pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and water to make a thick paste. Spread this thinly and evenly onto the base of the cake pan and set aside.
- Zest 1 orange and add this to a large bowl with the superfine sugar. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips until the zest is evenly distributed. Set aside.
- Slice both oranges as thinly as you can with the skin on and arrange the slices on top of the brown sugar base in the cake pan. You can cut some of the slices in half to create a different pattern and to fill in all the gaps.
- Add the yogurt to the bowl with the superfine sugar and whisk briefly to combine. Whisk in the eggs and olive oil. Stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until smooth. Gently pour the batter on top of the orange slices, being careful not to disturb the oranges underneath.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sponge is firm to the touch and golden brown. Leave the cake in its pan to cool completely before attempting to turn it upside down. Serve with creme fraiche.
References:
[1] https://www.jessiesheehanbakes.com/2020/05/13/olive-oil-triple-chocolate-chunk-cookies/
[2] https://www.jessiesheehanbakes.com/2020/05/20/bacon-cheddar-olive-oil-muffins/
[3] https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/blood-orange-olive-oil-upside-down-cake-8016860