A couple of years ago, we went to the Olive Blossom festival at Queen Creek Olive Mill, in….you guessed it, Queen Creek, AZ. It’s a place I’d highly recommend visiting if you’re here from out-of-town, or live in the Valley and are looking for a unique day trip. It was an oasis in the desert. Not to mention, live music, great food, lots of shade, and wine!
While we were there, I had a slice of the most delicious Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake from the mill’s kitchen. It was so delicious, I picked up a bottle of Blood Orange Olive Oil and a handful of recipe cards. This was one of the recipes: Blood Orange Olive Oil Brownies. Seriously! Citrus and chocolate. Heaven!
Like a lot of things, this one sat on the back burner for a while. But this weekend, because our citrus is plentiful and I have an enormous bowl of fresh lemons on my kitchen island, I got it in my head to bake these brownies. You don’t actually need Blood Oranges for the recipe, just get yourself a bottle of this olive oil. If you’re not local, you can order online. If you’re in Arizona, but can’t make it out to the mill, they have several shops in the Valley and one in Tucson. Check out this link to find the location closest to you.
The end product was delicious. The dark chocolate flavor is beautifully infused with citrus undertones. We loved them and I’ll definitely be making these again, although probably more for a special occasion. The kiddo was not as enamored with the citrus. She’s a purist, I suppose. But to a more sophisticated palette, they’re a real treat. Enjoy!
Blood Orange Olive Oil Brownies (recipe courtesy Queen Creek Olive Mill)
Ingredients:
- 4 oz unsweetened chocolate
- 1 oz bittersweet chocolate
- 1 c all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 4 eggs
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- 2 c sugar
- 1/2 c unsalted butter
- 1/2 c Blood Orange Olive Oil
- 1 c walnuts, coarsely crushed (optional)
Directions:
- Preheat over to 350 degrees. Spray 9×13 baking pan with non-stick baking spray (i.e. Pam).
- On low heat, melt chocolate in sauce pan, stirring constantly. Set aside to cool.
- In a separate bowl sift flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
- In a separate sauce pan, melt butter, add olive oil, and incorporate one egg at a time, whisking as you go.
- Add vanilla and then chocolate, combining well.
- Fold in dry ingredients and walnuts, being careful not to over mix batter.
- Pour mixture into pan smoothing off the top.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until brownies pull away from side of pan.
***Baker’s Note: There’s A LOT of sugar in this recipe. (It’s not a healthy treat by any stretch of the imagination.) Don’t be discouraged if your batter seems gritty. The sugar does bake down and the texture of the brownies is cakey and dense. No grit. Just lots of calories. But they’re special occasion, right??
Zoup to Nuts 