LUCY BURDETTE: One day on our recent trip to Spain, our small group of travelers was taken to visit an olive farm near Cordoba. We learned lots of interesting facts about growing olives, and then we were treated to a tasting.
After the tasting, we each received a small bowl of chocolate ice cream. (This was in the morning in case you were curious.) Then the farmer came around with a small bottle of orange flavored olive oil, and drizzled it on our ice cream. Yes, it sounded just as strange to us as it might sound to you. But it was delicious! My neighbor, who does not do a lot of entertaining, decided this would be a good dessert to serve to dinner guests at a small party she was hosting. It was universally acclaimed!
Ingredients
Good quality chocolate ice cream
Orange infused olive oil
That’s it!
Do you ever run out of steam after making a big dinner and skip dessert? Or do you have a go-to easy dessert recipe to share? (My mother used to serve grapes in sour cream...)
That does sound strange, Lucy, but I'm willing to try it . . . I must say I've never thought about pouring olive oil on my ice cream, though.
ReplyDeleteOh, no, we never skip dessert! We tend to have cake quite often because everyone seems to enjoy it and usually there's enough so everyone can take some home. Favorites here are Apple Cider Donut Cake and Dark Chocolate Espresso Cake, but at Christmastime, I always make Cranberry Eggnog Cake . . . .
I bake cakes often, too, Joan. Would you share the Cranberry Eggnog Cake recipe? It sounds like a delicious combination.
DeleteIt does sound good! My favorite dessert is cake. :)
DeleteHappy to share . . . .
DeleteCranberry Eggnog Bundt Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees; spray Bundt pan with nonstick spray, set aside.
CRANBERRY TOPPING
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups fresh cranberries
Combine butter, sugar, cinnamon in a small saucepan; heat; stir until sugar dissolves. Pour into prepared Bundt pan; spread cranberries evenly over the butter/sugar mixture.
EGGNOG CAKE
1 box [15.25 ounces] vanilla cake mix
1 box [3.4 ounces] instant vanilla pudding [dry]
1 Tablespoon powdered milk crystals [dry]
1 cup eggnog
1/3 cup melted butter
4 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Combine all cake ingredients; beat at medium speed for two minutes. Pour over cranberries; spread into an even layer.
Bake 30-35 minutes until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out with only a few crumbs [Do not overbake.]
Remove from oven; cool in pan for ten minutes.
Invert Bundt pan onto cake plate; place additional sugared cranberries around the bottom edge of the cake.
Serve warm. [You can warm cake slices for 20 seconds or so in the microwave.] Sprinkle with powdered sugar; serve.
Refrigerate any leftovers; they should last three days [if someone doesn’t gobble them up first!]
There used to be a place out here called Swenson’s that had a Swiss Orange Chip chocolate ice cream. I loved that flavor combo!
ReplyDeleteI would not have picked that out myself but now that I know it works, I might.
DeleteI miss Swenson’s! — Pat S
DeleteThat sounds odd and yummy.
ReplyDeleteMy quick and easy go to dessert if I have nothing else is girl scout chocolate mint cookies from the freezer. Which I always have.
I'd vote for one of your pies Edith:)
DeleteI'm a picky eater but I'd be willing to try that dessert. I even know of a shop where I think I can get that orange olive oil.
ReplyDeleteGive us a report if you try it:)
DeleteLUCY: That's a unique dessert combo I have never tried but sounds tasty!
ReplyDeleteI usually don't eat desserts at home. But I recently bought a pack of flavoured balsamic vinegars (blueberry and raspberry) from an artisan olive oil/vinegar store in Ottawa. I am mainly using them in vinagrettes but I think adding either one to ice cream would also work well.
I've heard that's really good!
DeleteRaspberry balsamic vinegar vinagrettes in green salads or spinach salads are amongst my favorites. Yummy!
DeleteDiana
I love chocolate and orange together. Every Christmas I make chocolate covered orange rind ...which is exceedingly fiddly when you begin with actual oranges. An easy dessert is vanilla ice cream with balsamic vinegar that's been boiled down to a syrup. Garnish wIth strawberries or raspberries.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking of exactly your chocolate covered orange rind when we tasted this!
DeleteThat's sounds delicious, Hallie.
DeleteThe orange infused olive oil sounds divine! I am sure it would be delicious over chocolate ice cream! I visited an olive oil producer in Israel and they made so much more than olive oil!
ReplyDeleteIf I have guests for dinner, I frequently plan the dessert first and it is never "just a..."
It depends on the season and who is coming for dinner, but I always have either fruit salad or grapes besides the baked goods.
Dessert first is a good policy!
DeleteLike Mary Poppins serving dessert first to the children before the regular food, right?
DeleteThat sounds lovely! We don't usually have company over and usually stick to desserts for special holiday dinners only, but I will say something I love on ice cream (which we buy as a treat sometimes) is coffee crystals. Yes, like Folgers! It's a little bitter (more of an adult taste than a kid taste), but when the ice cream starts to melt and some of the crystals are still crunchy. Mmm. It's really good over a simple flavor like vanilla or chocolate. Not so much with a fancy Ben and Jerry's 'chunky' flavor.
ReplyDeleteIt's something I actually picked up from our landlord back in Italy many years ago. My dad offered to get him some "American food" from the military base. He asked for coffee crystals because they were great on gelato. Who knew?!
So interesting Jill!
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DeleteI can imagine how good that would be, Jill -- a sweet/creamy/bitter combo!
DeleteJill, isn't it interesting where we get ideas for things that become our own? It's great that you remember your landlord for that idea. I am sure that I've forgotten where some of my "great" ideas came from.
DeleteBTW, yesterday Shaniaks had a live conversation with Shane East on their Facebook site and he gave everyone there permission to talk about his other pseudonym and the books he has read as Steve West. I was totally surprised and thought, " Wait until I tell Jill;^) We were just discussing that! Hah!"
Aw, that's great. It sounds like he's good to his fans, which is always nice to hear. Thanks for letting me know!
DeleteMy youngest and I were just talking about olive oil the other day. Now that they live in Greece it's a part of her daily life. We always get first-press oil from friends in Cholame, California, which is SO good, but an orange-infused oil sounds fabulous. Love the tasting note part of the activity.
ReplyDeleteYears ago I bought a bottle of incredible blackberry balsamic vinegar in Pike Place Market in Seattle. I hoarded that black gold for years, using it on ice cream for a special dessert, but also on grilled peaches, with or without vanilla ice cream. Heavenly. Wish I still had some.
There is an olive oil/vinegar store in Traverse City called Fustini's, and they have a large selection of flavors in both. I'll have to see if the MI crew can bring me a bottle of orange for Christmas.
The Greek olive oil sounds divine Karen!
DeleteThe California oil is as good as any I've had from Greece or Italy.
DeleteCalifornia has the same kind of olive trees grown in Italy and Greece. Our favorite sparkling winery in Sonoma produces several types of olive oil. It tastes better than olive oil imported from Italy or Greece, primarily because of the freshness. Most imported olive oil is old and has lost flavor with time.
DeleteI helped pick grapes at a local winery in the “mountains” outside of San Diego a few years back. As a treat, the owner gave us some balsamic vinegar made from their grapes to try. It was delicious and he, too, recommended using it over ice cream! — Pat S
DeleteI just did a “duh” hand to forehead when I realized I was talking vinegar and you all are talking about olive oil. As Emily Latella (aka Gilda Radner) used to say, “Never mind!”
DeleteNot to worry, vinegar follows the story line perfectly!
DeleteI have recently learned that my cholesterol is too high, so "dessert" and "always" no longer fit in the same sentence for me, but I can well imagine the combo of ice cream + orange-infused olive oil, Lucy. Yum! Top notch olive oil makes everything yummy.
ReplyDeleteWe eat fruit and cookies for dessert. I also have an easy pots de creme au chocolat recipe, made from chocolate chips, egg yolks, some kind of flavoring like grand marnier or framboise, and scalded whipping cream combined in a blender till smooth and chilled in little ceramic cups--or short plastic glasses for a big crowd. Garnish with whipped cream, grated chocolate, and a raspberry or strawberry.
ReplyDeleteThat's sounds fabulous, Margaret. You'll have to give us the recipe.
DeleteThat does sound delicious – now I have to search for orange olive oil. I wonder if you can pour the oil over orange peels/zest and it will infiltrate it???
ReplyDeleteI just read Flummery on Mystery Lovers Kitchen and thought about making that for supper, but I was already still thinking of Celias Rice Pudding, oh and I just made a pineapple and orange fruit salad yesterday… so many choices this week and I am hungry!
As for running out of steam before I think of a dessert, in our house it is the fall-back Peppermint Girl Guide Cookies. Apparently grandparents have to buy all the extras.
Margaret, those pots de creme of yours sound DElicious! So does orange-flavored olive oil--I think you could make a yummy salad dressed from it as well as put it on dessert. My go-to dessert is Joy-of-Cooking brownies or, if I want something even easier, hot chocolate sauce (homemade) on vanilla ice cream. I also have a lemon pudding I can do pretty quickly. Of course, our friends here in Bern have had all my "company meals" with accompanying desserts many times over the years, but luckily I don't think they mind having them again.
ReplyDeleteI do like orange and chocolate flavors together. You can get that chocolate orange in a box at Christmas time and I ate chocolate orange gelato in Sorrento, Italy last April.
ReplyDeleteI like to have an ice cream sundae bar, usually just vanilla ice cream and various toppings for people to make their own. Now I’ll have to think about adding chocolate ice team and orange olive oil to the menu!
i love orange and chocolate together. I never thought of orange infused olive oil over chocolate ice cream. But --- YUM! Sounds great.
ReplyDeleteWe rarely have desert but if we have guests I do something simple like ice cream with strawberries and whipped cream or a store bought desert of some sort.
I didn’t grow up with dessert; it was reserved for birthdays and holidays, and the rare occasions when my parents had people over for dinner. This is something that I’ll be happy to try! I’ve tasted various kinds of olive oils at specialty stores, and I liked all of them. (And I love all sorts of olives! For my birthday this year, one of my sisters gave me a year’s worth of olives! I’m in Heaven!)
ReplyDeleteDebRo
Oh my DebRo, where are the olives from?
DeleteI love chocolate and oranges together. My dad used to eat oranges with olive oil and red pepper flakes. aprilbluetx at yahoo dot com
ReplyDeleteThis all sounds delicious. My grandparents immigrated from Spain (Madrid and Santander) and she used to make the children churros. Served hot and dipped in powdered sugar. We couldn’t eat enough of them.
ReplyDeleteSorry- it’s Judy L Murray
Deleteoh homemade churros, how divine
DeleteI have many flavors of good balsamic vinegar. Some pair really well with sorbet or ice cream. Dark chocolate vinegar on mango or raspberry sorbet. Espresso vinegar on chocolate ice cream, etc. The olive oil also sounds fantastic.
ReplyDeleteLucy, I have been unhappy with some of the olive oil choices available at local markets. From your travel to Spain and Portugal can you recommend some brands that are particularly good olive oil choices? I wish I knew more about olive oil as I love both the oils and olives!
ReplyDeleteA lot of olive offered in the US is old, way past prime flavor. California wineries make excellent olive oil.
DeleteLooks yummy. Would like to try your Ice cream speciality one of these days. Looks easy.
ReplyDeleteMy quick "dessert" is Yam these days. I wash the yam, sprinkle the yam with Nut Oil, then bake it in the oven. Tastes like candy to me. My taste buds are changing. Yam tastes sweet to me.
Diana
Wow—that is fascinating! I keep thinking about it—is the oil analogous to, say, chocolate sauce? We found a lovely place in western Massachusetts called Seven Barrels which makes wonderful balsamic vinegar and olive oils… We have lemon infused olive oil, and garlic infused olive oil, and pink grapefruit balsamic vinegar, and pomegranate balsamic vinegar. I use all of the olive oil constantly, but I am still terrified of the flavored Balsamics…Any ideas?
ReplyDeleteHank, try the flavored balsamic vinegars in home made salad dressing to start with. It isn't particularly risky and you won't use a lot of it. That way you can see whether you genuinely like the flavor.
DeleteWe are not big fans of vinegar of any sort, but I have about 10 different flavors that I use regularly in recipes which call for a tablespoon or two for "brightening." Whatever that means, it works out well.
Thank you! That's a great idea. xx
DeleteThe orange something over chocolate ice cream sounds great. It's the olive oil that gives me pause. I wonder where I could get just enough to try, but not get stuck with a whole bottle if we don't like it Hmm...
ReplyDeleteOrange olive oil sounds fun. I'm thinking the smoothness of both the ice cream and olive oil was soft on your tongue. My easy do to is store purchase pound cake and frozen raspberries that are cooked down, with sugar or maybe honey, pushed through a sieve and the drizzled on the pound cake.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds delicious, Lucy. We have a Texas olive oil producer that makes a lot of flavored oils, but I don't think I've seen orange. Now I will look!
ReplyDeleteDesert is my big failing when entertaining. I usually buy something. One thing I love in the UK is how good the ready-made desserts are in the good supermarkets. I can buy a Marks and Spencers Sticky Toffee Pudding that's delish.
Oh, sliding in late to say that you can make amazing cakes using olive oil. Years ago, Fine Cooking Magazine had an article making the case for using olive oils in baking. Wouldn't an orange infused olive oil cake be fabulous?
ReplyDeleteThis is for Liz/Mary: here's your answer to how to make tender homemade cakes.
Lucy, the chocolate ice cream with the orange infused olive oil looks and sounds delicious. I wonder if there's a good place to order the olive oil online. And, I agree that the ice cream should be high-end. Hallie, your chocolate-covered orange rind sounds wonderful, too. And, Joan, your Cranberry Eggnog Bundt Cake sounds so yummy. I think we just covered the major food groups with these three desserts--chocolate, orange, and cranberry.
ReplyDeleteMy go-to dessert is always my Chocolate Cherry Cake. It's actually so easy, and I have a chocolate icing that I got from a friend's mother years ago when I was searching for the perfect chocolate icing recipe. We may have to add cherries to the major food groups I mentioned above.
Oh, yum-- someday will you give us the recipe?
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