Tangerine Carrot Cupcake

TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES

ingredients:

carrot cupcake ingredients

• 3 c Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 1/2 t Baking Powder
• 1 1/2 t Baking Soda
• 1/4 t Salt
• 1 1/2 t Cinnamon
• 4 Eggs
• 2 c Sugar
• 1/2 c LunaOlivo Blood Orange Oil
• 1/2 c Applesauce
• 1 t Vanilla Extract
• 3 T Tangerine Juice
• Grated Zest of 2 Tangerines
• 2 c Carrots, finely grated

tangerine cream cheese frosting ingredients

• 3/4 c (1 1/2 sticks or 170g) Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
• 2 packages (8 oz or 225g each) Cream Cheese, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 c Confectioners Sugar
• 1 t finely grated Tangerine Zest
• 1 T finely grated, peeled fresh ginger
• pinch of salt

directions:

carrot cupcake directions

Preheat oven to 350º F

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
2. In a mixer bowl, beat eggs and sugar until thick and light colored. Add oil and applesauce and beat on medium-high for 3-4 minutes. Add vanilla extract, tangerine juice, and zest and mix well. Fold in the grated carrots.
3. Mix dry ingredients into wet until just combined. Line mini-muffin tins with papers and fill each 90% with batter. (alt fill technique: Hold muffin paper in hand, and fill @ 75% full, then place in muffin tin. Then fill to 90% full.)
4. Bake in preheated 350º F oven for @ 15 min. or until a toothpick comes out clean when poked in cupcakes. Allow to cool.

tangerine cream cheese frosting directions

1. In a mixer bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy on medium-high speed. Toss in cream cheese and beat until both are light and fluffy. Add remaining ingredients and beat for approx. 5 min.
2. Try not to eat too much of the frosting before frosting the tops of your cooled cupcakes.

Blackberry Thyme Pound Cake

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: one lovely loaf cake

Serving Size: I ate too much of it

What to get...

• 1.5 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 tsp lemon zest
• 2 tsp chopped, FRESH thyme
• 2-2.5 cups fresh blackberries (may need to cut large ones in half)
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 T LunaOlivo Blood Orange Olive Oil
• 3/4 cup (less 2 T) LunaOlivo Arbequina Olive Oil
• *Powdered sugar for topping cake

What to do...

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. prepare loaf pan with butter/shortening and flour, set aside
3. Combine dry ingress: flour, soda, salt.
4. In small separate bowl, toss blackberries and fresh thyme with 2 T flour (this is to help berries to not sink to bottom of cake while baking!).
5. In bowl of an electric mixer combine eggs, lemon zest and sugar, beating well.
6. Add vanilla.
7. Beat in milk.
8. Add oil, gradually until incorporated.
9. Add dry ingredient mix gradually till combined, only stirring lightly.
10. Now gently stir in blackberry/thyme mixture until folded.
11. Bake in loaf pan for about 40-50 min depending on pan and oven. Mine took 50 min, until toothpick inserted into center came out clean!
12. Cool cake in pan, on rack for about 40 min, and slice.
13. Dust top with powdered sugar and serve warm or at temperature.

Notes

If the blackberries are very large, I cut into halves width-wise; otherwise they will most definitely sink to bottom of cake. Tossing the blackberries and thyme with flour prior to incorporating into batter aids in keeping them all from sinking to bottom of pan during the bake. the sweet olive oil is used instead of butter, but will make for a perfect texture and crust.

Blood Orange Olive Oil Fudge Brownies

Our new olive Oil for this summer is Blood Orange!  It is absolutely delicious and bursting with flavor.  Try it with these finger licking good brownies! And if you like these delicious brownies, you should also try our Blood Orange Olive Oil Cupcakes! 

1½ cups walnuts
9 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup LunaOlivo blood orange olive oil
4 eggs
¾ cup almonds, ground in food processor
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon finely grated orange zest
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch square pan and set aside.

Sift together the flour and baking soda. set aside.

Melt the chocolate slowly until smooth. Stir in the olive oil. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, almonds, sugar and orange zest. Add the chocolate mixture stirring until smooth.

Fold in the flour mixture and then the walnuts.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 - 40 minutes. When done, remove from oven and set pan on a wire rack to cool. Let stand for five minutes then unmold onto the cooling rack.

When cool cut into squares or, using cookies cutters, into hearts or other shapes.

Garnish with Whipped Cream and a chocolate Filigree Heart, if desired.   decorate with some LunaOlivo Citrico Balsamic swirls!

Blood Orange Olive Oil Cakes

3 blood oranges

1 cup granulated sugar

plain yogurt

3 large eggs

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2/3 cup LunaOlivo Blood Orange olive oil

Grease 9 by 5 loaf pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and set aside.

Preparing blood oranges : Grate zest from 2 blood oranges and place in a bowl with granulated sugar. Mix well with a whisk.

Cut 2 oranges into segments ( remove the skin first) and chop into 1/4 inch pieces.

Juice the remaining orange and combine with yogurt to make it 2/3 cup of orange-yogurt liquid.

Mixed Greens with Oranges and Balsamic Steak

Ingredients

• 1 large filet mignon or 1 small flank steak
• 2 tablespoons LunaOlivo Citrico Balsamic
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• mixed salad greens
• 5 radishes
• 2 blood oranges
• 2 navel oranges
• 1/4 cup gorgonzola
• 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons LunaOlivo Blood Orange Olive Oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Slice your choice of steak into strips. Combine the vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Toss steak strips with the vinegar mixture. Let sit for 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the peel off of the oranges all around the edges and slice the oranges into rounds. Thinly slice the radishes. Set aside. For the dressing: Combine the orange juice, oil, mustard, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

In a saute pan, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the beef. Sear on either side, about 1-3 minutes per side. Remove from heat. Fill a dinner sized plate with several handfuls of mixed greens. Top with sliced radishes, oranges, steak, and a sprinkling of cheese. Drizzle with dressing. Serves 2 as a main dish.

Grapefruit and Avocado Salad

Ingredients

2 handfuls fresh spinach
1 grapefruit
1 avocado
2-3 oz. goat cheese
3 Tbs. chopped pecans

1 Tbs. LunaOlivo Blood Orange Olive oil
1/2 Tbs. honey
1/2 Tbs. LunaOlivo Citrico Balsamic
1/2 Tbs. Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. poppy seeds
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Slice the top and bottom off the grapefruit, then trim down sides to remove peel and pith. Cut grapefruit into sections. Peel avocado and slice into strips.

Place salad on large plate. Top with remaining salad ingredients. Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients. Pour over salad and enjoy.

Capezzana Olive Oil and Orange Cakes

If the cakes are made in advance the crust can lose some of its lovely crispiness (humidity is a significant contributing factor to this); simply place the cakes back to the 350F oven for about 10 minutes to return the crust its once lost great quality.

Adapted from the “Pastries from the La Brea Bakery”

Makes 12 4-inch round cakes or 2 9-inch cakes

Ingredients:

• Grated zest of 3 oranges
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups + 2 tbsp unbleached pastry flour
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 ½ cups LunaOlivo Blood Orange oil
• 1 ½ cups whole milk
• 3 large eggs

Preparation:

Center an oven rack and preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly coat the tart or tartlet pans with olive oil. Set aside.

In a large bowl, rub together the orange zest and sugar until the sugar is moist and fragrant. In a sieve, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Sift over the sugar. Whisk to combine the dry ingredients, then make a well in the center. In a large liquid measuring cup, combine the oil, milk, and eggs, whisk to combine, then pour into the well in the dry ingredients and slowly draw in the flour mixture, whisking until incorporated. The mixture should be fairly smooth before you draw in more flour. Mix well.

Pour the butter into the prepared molds using ½-cup measuring cup as a ladle. The molds should be three-quarters full. Place the molds on a large baking sheet, half an inch apart.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until nicely browned and firm to the touch.

Beetroot, Orange & Pomegranate Salad

A vibrant fruity salad, delicious served with cold turkey, ham or salad.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Mustard Seed Dressing

Juice & Zest of 1 Small Orange

2 Tsp LunaOlivo Citrico Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tsp Dijon Mustard

3 Tsp Whole Grain Mustard

2 Tsp Sweet Freedom Natural Sweetener or Honey

6 Tbsp LunaOlivo Blood Orange Olive Oil

Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper

4 Large Handfuls of Baby Salad Leaves

300g Cooked Beetroot (either roast or boiled)

4 Small Oranges

4 Tbsp Pomegranate Seeds

½ Small Red Onion, finely sliced

A Small Handful of Mint & Coriander Leaves

Method

Whisk together the orange juice and zest, balsamic vinegar, Dijon and whole grain mustard, Sweet Freedom and a pinch of salt.  Then gradually whisk in the oil until it emulsifies and thickens.  Season with black pepper.

To serve, place the baby salad leaves in a serving bowl.  Cut the beetroot into chunks and nestle them in the salad leaves.  Cut the peel from the oranges, cut out the segments and add them to the salad, then scatter over the pomegranate seeds and red onion slices.  Finally, drizzle with some of the dressing, serve the rest separately, and then scatter with the mint and coriander leaves.

Fig, Pear and Caramalized Walnut Salad

Ingredients (adjust the contents of salad to your preference)

Salad:
Mixed greens (or your favorite salad greens)
Cherry tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
One pear (any kind will do – I used Bartlett)
Candied walnuts
Feta or blue cheese, crumbled

Dressing:

1/4 cup LunaOlivo Modena balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup LunaOlivo Blood Orange olive oil

Directions

Add all ingredients in the dressing into a bowl and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate while preparing the salad. Prepare the salad and drizzle  and mix in salad dressing (depending on your preference for lightly drizzled salad or drenched salad). Add the salad dressing only when ready to serve.

Chocolate Olive Oil and Blood Orange Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup coconut milk

1/3 cup LunaOlivo Blood Orange Olive Oil 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon blood orange zest, finely grated

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon almond meal

1/3 cup cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

For Frosting:

1/2 cup butter or margarine, room temperature

2-3 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons blood orange juice

1 teaspoon blood orange zest, finely grated

1-2 tablespoons soy creamer or heavy cream (as needed)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pan with paper liners.

Whisk together the coconut milk, sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and zest until incorporated. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, almond meal, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients and pour in coconut milk mixture. Stir until just smooth (do not overmix).

Pour into liners, filling each with 3 tablespoons of batter (cups should be no more than 2/3 full). Bake 18-20 minutes (or 10-12 for minis), or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

For frosting, cream butter until smooth and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and beat until combined. Mix in orange juice, zest, and vanilla. Continue adding sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition (depending on the temperature of your butter, you may need more or less sugar or added cream to achieve the proper consistency). Continue beating until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Lemon Curd Tart with Olive Oil

yield: Makes 6 servings

active time: 45 min

total time: 4 hr

Ingredients:

For tart shell:

• 2 tablespoons almonds with skins, toasted and cooled
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
• Pinch of fine sea salt
• 1/2 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 large egg yolk
• 3 1/2 tablespoons LunaOlivo Blood Orange olive oil 

For lemon curd:

• 3 large lemons
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 whole large eggs plus 2 large yolks
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons  LunaOlivo Blood Orange olive oil
• 
  

Equipment:

• a 9-inch round tart pan with removable side; a small offset spatula

Preparation:

Make tart shell:
Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.

Pulse almonds with flour, sugar, and sea salt to a fine powder in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps.

Add yolk and oil and pulse until just incorporated and a very soft dough has formed.

Spread dough evenly over bottom and up side of pan with offset spatula. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

Bake shell until golden brown all over, about 13 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Make curd:
Grate enough zest from lemons to measure 1 tablespoon, then squeeze 3/4 cup juice from lemons.

Whisk together lemon zest and juice, sugar, cornstarch, whole eggs, and yolks in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Boil, whisking, 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and whisk in butter and oil until smooth.

Assemble tart:
Pour lemon curd into cooled shell and chill until set, at least 2 hours.

Cooks' notes:• Tart shell can be made 1 day ahead and kept, loosely covered, at room temperature.
•• Assembled tart can be chilled up to 4 hours.