Olive Oil Cake, or a Make-Believe Rainy Day
A thunderstorm last night sent the Family-Across-the-Street-that-Conducts-All-Its-Business-on-Its-Front-Stoop scuttling indoors. And I woke up this morning with a need—no, scratch that—a COMPULSION to bake. Cause and effect? Probably. No, I’m not implying that the family retiring early from their stoop was the reason behind this unseasonal impulse, but rather, my deep-rooted association of rain with baking. I wonder if this instinct makes biological sense?
But alas, the day promised to be hot. The oven whined when I turned it on. The faucet seized up. Dishes toppled from the rack, spices threatened to tip. ‘It’s not a rainy day, you fool,’ the spirit of the kitchen cried out to me. But I insisted that it was.
And with that, I started started pulling out ingredients, already knowing what I was going to bake. The spelt flour sat high up in the cupboard, the dark chocolate nibs atop the bookshelf. The rosemary I grabbed from the fridge, a little wilted but still presentable. Finally, the star of the show sat in its usual spot near the stove, a big bottle of olive oil we use for everyday cooking. You see, I was going to bake an olive oil cake. Not just any olive oil cake, but the one created by Kim Boyce of Good to the Grain fame.
This is a cake I’ve wanted to bake for ages. With so many others setting the precedent and my inherent trust in Kim’s recipes (you could seduce someone with her whole wheat chocolate chip cookies), it promised to be delicious.
And sure enough, the olive oil worked its mysterious magic, offset by the subtle flavor of the rosemary and dark chocolate. Overall, it’s a rustic, everyday cake, but with an aromatic twist, a restrained sweetness that makes it suitable for breakfast. And a mid-morning snack. And dessert too.
OLIVE OIL CAKE
From Good to the Grain, by Kim Boyce
Makes 1 9-inch round cake
Ingredients:
Olive oil for the pan
Dry Mix:
3/4 cup spelt flour
1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp kosher salt
Wet Mix:
3 eggs
1 cup olive oil
3/4 cup whole milk
1-1/2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate (about 70% cacao), roughly chopped
Directions:
Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub a 9-1/2-inch tart pan with olive oil.
Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs thoroughly. Add the olive oil, milk, and rosemary and whisk again. Using a spatula, fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing gently until just combined. Stir in the chocolate. Pour the batter into the pan, spreading it evenly.
Bake about 40 minutes, or until the top is domed and golden brown and the edges are darker, or until a toothpick through the center comes out clean.
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Churro Crepes with Homemade Dulce de Leche
Well, since every time I post a type of churro recipe, my blog buzzes with action, here is another one. Churro Crepes. I made these for my family one Sunday morning and I made some for the guys at my office. I received high compliments, so I thought I ‘d share the recipe. Crepes are so easy to make once you get the batter right. You don’t need any fancy equipment. My mom always made her crepes in a regular pan greased with good old Crisco. I prefer a non-stick pan coated with cooking spray. To each their own.
I did try two different dulce de leches with the crepes. The darker dulce de leche was made by a friend. She boils her unopened can of sweetened condensed milk in a pot on the stove for about 1.5 hrs, flipping it over half way through. It produced a darker, thicker, and more rich flavored dulce de leche. I cooked mine in a jar in the slow cooker for 10 hours (see how here). I ended up with a lighter, creamier and thinner dulce de leche. Each is equally good, it just depends on what you need it for. If you want to use it as a filling for a cake or cupcakes, the thicker one is better. If you want to pour it over ice cream or crepes, then the thinner one works better. I did like my homemade dulce de leche better with these crepes because the taste didn’t over power the cinnamon flavor and the light fluffy texture of the crepe. The thicker, darker dulce de leche was just to strong for this delicate treat.
For those who just don’t care and are really not interested in making their own dulce de leche, here is the brand I have used for other recipes. It is dark and thick like the one my friend made. You should be able to find it at your local Spanish market. If not, you can try La Salamandra brand on Amazon.com.
Churro Crepes
by The Sweet Chick
Prep Time: 5- 10 minutes
Cook Time: 18-20 minutes
Keywords: breakfast dessert dulce de leche cinnamon crepe
Ingredients (12 crepes)
For the crepes
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 whole egg
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the cinnamon sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
For the crepes
In a blender or with hand mixer, combine all ingredients. Blend until smooth.
Heat a nonstick skillet with flared sides over medium-high heat. Remove from heat. Pour 1/4 cup batter into skillet; lift and tilt the skillet to spread batter evenly across bottom of skillet. Return to heat. Cook about 1 minute or until light brown.
Flip crepe with a spatula and cook the other side for about 30 seconds. Remove from pan and place on a warm plate and cover to keep warm.
Repeat with remaining batter.
When all crepes are cooked, fill them with 3 tablespoons (or more if you like) of dulce de leche and either fold the side of the crepes into the middle or roll up the crepes.
For the cinnamon sugar
Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar over the top of each crepe.
Eat and enjoy!
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