Blissful Baking with Olive Oil

Everyone loves a buttery pastry, but what about the trend of baking with olive oil instead?  While baking with olive oil may seem like a current trend, it is indeed not new at all!  There are many reasons to use olive oil in your cakes, cookies, breads, and more; the reason depends on the recipe.

A healthy alternative:

Substituting olive oil in place of butter or vegetable oil offers a healthy and delicious alternative.  When using olive oil as an ingredient in your favorite bakery recipe, in most cases, the olive oil will not impart a strong ‘olive oil’ flavor. Often in baking, it is best to use a delicate extra virgin olive oil, for example our light and fruity new Arbequina from California.  Using EVOO in your favorite recipe will most definitely make for a perfectly moist dessert with very subtle notes of the fruity olive oil.  The advantages of olive oil are present without sacrificing flavor. Try this Grapefruit & Cardamom Buckwheat Cake for a lovely winter cake bread with The Olive Tap Arbequina EVOO.

For a special flavor:

Certain recipes are specifically designed to highlight the delicate nuances of a beautiful extra virgin olive oil.  In a luxurious olive oil ice cream recipe, one can appreciate the rich notes of olive oil deepened by the creaminess of the ice cream. Olive Oil Marshmallow Cream highlights the depth of the olive oil through the fluffy sweetness of the marshmallow.

Flavored olive oils are the perfect ingredient to not only achieve a desired flavor, but add moisture and health benefits. Sorrento Orange or Lemon Olive Oil in your favorite recipe impart the real great citrus flavor you desire, without the work of juicing and zesting! (Try our featured Sorrento Lemon or check with your local Olive Tap for a Meyer Lemon Olive Oil from California.) Rosemary and Basil Agrumato are excellent in homemade bread. This comforting recipe for Cast-Iron Skillet Bread with Rosemary Agrumato Olive Oil is a delicious accompaniment to soup or chili and can be made with any of our flavored olive oils, such as Basil Agrumato or Jalapeño Agrumato Olive Oils.

From texture to surprising twists:

Other recipes are greatly enhanced by the addition of olive oil.  For dense brownies or Salted Chocolate Olive Oil Cake, the olive oil gives adds a texture of gooey rich fudginess. A Pie Crust made with olive oil and butter creates the most delicious and flaky crust that browns perfectly for either sweet or savory fillings.

The most important thing is to experiment. Do not be afraid to use the olive oil in surprising ways...the results are sure to be spectacular!