Melomakarona

This is a Greek Christmas cookie that features olive oil making it moist and cake like. Enjoy topped with a sweet syrup and chopped nuts.


Cookie
3 cups extra virgin olive oil
1 cup sugar + 1 teaspoon
1 cup water
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon soda
9 cups all purpose flour


Syrup
2 cups Greek honey
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
juice and 1 strip of zest from a large lemon
1.5 cups of ground walnuts and cinnamon to sprinkle on top


Combine the lemon zest and sugar together, rubbing with your fingers to release the essential oils. Using a mixer, beat the olive oil into the lemon sugar until it is well mixed.


We recommend a light extra virgin olive oil – such as our Picual or Hojiblanca.


Add the orange juice and mix well. Slowly mix in the flower until a dough forms. To roll cookies, pinch off a portion of dough that is about the size of a walnut. Roll the dough with your hands into a smooth oblong shape like an egg. Put the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press with then tines of a large fork to create a crosshatch pattern.


Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees F, until the cookies are lightly browned.


Combine the honey, sugar, water, cinnamon, cloves and lemon rind. Boil the mixture and then reduce the heat to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick, cloves and lemon rind and add lemon juice.


When the cookies come out of the oven and are still warm, float them in the syrup, allowing them to absorb the syrup on both sides. Remove the cookie from the syrup and place on a plate. Press the chopped walnuts into the cookies and sprinkle with cinnamon.


Store in an airtight container at room temperature – do not refrigerate.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Cupcakes
16 oz. pumpkin pie mix
2 c. flour
4 eggs beaten
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp. cinnamon
.5 tsp. ginger
.25 tsp. nutmeg, cloves, salt
1 tsp. baking soda


Icing
8 oz. cream cheese
1 c. confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract


Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 – 30 mins.


The Spicy Olive currently has Pumpkin Spice Balsamic Vinegar! Add a teaspoon of this fall favorite to the icing for a touch of autumn goodness!

The Spicy Olive’s Maple Pecan Tassies

The Spicy Olive’s Maple Pecan Tassies

1 3 oz. package of cream cheese

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon margarine

1 cup sifted, all purpose flour

1 egg, lightly beaten

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 & 1/2 teaspoons The Spicy Olive’s Vermont Maple balsamic

dash of salt

2/3 cup chopped pecans

Blend cream cheese with 1/2  cup of the margarine until smooth. Add flour, blend well. Chill 2 hours or overnight. Shape dough into 24 1 inch balls, press into and up sides of 1 & 3/4 inch muffin cups (mini muffin tins).

Blend egg, brown sugar, vanilla, maple balsamic, 1 tablespoon margarine, salt and pecans in a small bowl. Fill muffin cups with pecan mixture. Bake in preheated 375°

oven for 20 minutes of lightly browned

The Spicy Olive’s Blood Orange Brownies

Blood Orange Brownies with Raspberry Balsamic Reduction

Blood Orange or Harissa Brownies

1 box of Chocolate Brownie Mix Substitute the 1/3 cup of vegetable oil with The Spicy Olive Blood Orange Extra Virgin Olive Oil or The Spicy Olive Harissa Olive Oil Bake as directed on the box.

Raspberry Balsamic Reduction 1 cup of The Spicy Olive Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar

Place 1 cup of The Spicy Olive Raspberry Balsamic in a small saucepan and heat on low to a simmer for about 15 minutes.

Let the balsamic cool in the pan. It will thicken more as it cools.

Just before serving, place a small scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of the brownie.

Drizzle Raspberry Balsamic on top of the ice cream.

The Spicy Olive’s Macerated Berries

Macerated Berries

Ingredients:

2 C fresh strawberries 1/2 C The Spicy Olive Chocolate Balsamic 1/2 C The Spicy Olive Blood Orange Olive Oil 1 tsp. granulated sugar 1/2 C fresh basil, rolled lengthwise and then sliced lengthwise

Preparation:

Slice berries lengthwise into very thin slices. Add equal parts balsamic & oil. Gently fold in fresh basil & sugar. Reserve and spoon over top of ice cream or serve in a bowl with fresh whipped cream.

LOW FAT VERSION: Reduce the Olive Oil to 1 Tablespoon for a lower fat taste treat. You need a little bit of oil to “bind” the “sauce”, so don’t leave it out!

Alternative Spicy Olive Balsamic Vinegar Suggestions:

Strawberry Balsamic, Fig Balsamic, 18 Year Traditional Balsamic, Raspberry Balsamic, Espresso Balsamic, Chocolate Balsamic

Strawberry Shortcake

This one is a lot like our Easy Peasy Pie Filling post and makes a delicious summer desert.

You can use store-bought spongecake or make your own homemade shortcake:

Preheat oven to 425F.

2 1/3 c. baking mix (like Bisquick)
1/2 c. milk
3 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

Simply mix ingredients until a soft dough forms. Then drop onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Slice the strawberries, then coat with 1/4 c. sugar and two tbsp. of The Spicy Olive’s Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar. Put this on top of your warm short bread and top with cool whipped cream. Yum!

Why not try this with other fruits – how about blueberry peach with They Spicy Olive’s Wild Blueberry Field Balsamic Vinegar!

Easy Peasy Pie Fillings

Store-bought pie filling is full of all kinds of chemicals and preservatives. And if you have kids, you probably know exactly how much sugar it has too!

But pies are the definition of all-American desert, and as summer approaches, so does pie season! What’s a mom to do?!

Make healthy homemade pie filling, of course! Sounds tough, we know. But it’s really oh, so easy. You’re going to wonder why you bought the canned junk in the first place!

Here are a couple examples, but you could customize for any fruit – the possibilities are endless!


Blueberry Pie filling
4 cups fresh blueberries
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp. Wild Fields Blueberry Balsamic Vinegar from The Spicy Olive

Apple Pie Filling
3 medium sized apples, chunked
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. Cinnamon Pear Balsamic Vinegar from The Spicy Olive

Have you made a pie filling with balsamic vinegar? Let us know what you used and what you thought!