grapefruit and dark chocolate olive oil cookies.

I know we are in the throws of summer and it seems absurd to be discussing chocolate when there is so many stone fruit options available right now (peaches! plums!), but sometimes a girl just needs some chocolate (especially when this girl is in the throws of wedding planning). So that's why these cookies came to be. 

And these cookies? These cookies are intense in the best possible way. 

(How could something involving chocolate and more chocolate be anything but intense?)

Fruity olive oil paired with grapefruit zest makes for an incredible base for a chocolate filled cookie.  The combination of coffee and olive oil and zest makes these perfectly appropriate for all of the adults in your life (though I would be hard pressed to imagine I child would spit one of these out). The chocolate chips provide a nice amount of textural contrast to the soft (veering on under-baked in the best possible way) cookie.  And the sprinkle of sea salt?  Well a sprinkle of flaky sea salt is always a good idea when dealing with chocolate.  

Grapefruit and Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Cookies

Recipe adapted from Une Gamine dans la Cuisine

Makes 16-18 cookies

Grated zest of one medium grapefruit or orange
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon hot brewed coffee (or hot water)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 room temperature eggs
½ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup rye or whole wheat flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups bittersweet (or semi-sweet) chocolate chips
Sea salt; for garnish

In stand mixer bowl, combine grapefruit or orange zest and sugar; use your fingertips to rub zest into sugar until moist and aromatic - set bowl aside for a few minutes.

In a separate small bowl, combine the baking soda and hot coffee. Mix soda into coffee until dissolved; set aside.  

Add olive oil to grapefruit or orange-sugar mixture. With the paddle attachment, beat on med-high speed until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating for about one minute after each addition. Add flour, cocoa, and salt; beat on med-low speed until dough thickens (it should have the consistency of a loose brownie batter).

Add baking soda-coffee mixture and vanilla extract. Beat on med-high speed until combined. Switch to a large rubber spatula or wooden spoon and stir in chocolate chips. 

Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least three hours (or overnight).   After allowing the dough to rest in the fridge for a couple of hours, measure out the dough into heaping tablespoons and place on a baking sheet.  Allow the un-baked dough to continue to chill, covered, in the fridge overnight. 

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Arrange cookies on prepared sheet, allowing for about 2-inches of space between each one. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are set.

Remove sheets from oven and cool completely before transferring cookies to cooling rack. 

burrata, sugar snap peas, and grapefruit

This dish is an ode to California (I can't begin to describe how much I miss it) and Baco Mercat where I ate a similar version.  

This is the epitome of perfect summer eating.  Light, bright flavors anchored by something indulgent (and minimal cooking involved which is a welcome necessity in the summer months).  In this version it's crisp sugar snap peas, wedges of tart grapefruit, chunks of rich and creamy burrata (I am addicted and am refraining from calculating how much I've spent on burrata this month), crunchy croutons, and a tangy vinaigrette that brings the whole dish together.  I can't get enough of these flavors and textures.  

I plan on eating some version of this dish throughout the summer by simply changing the fruits and vegetables as the produce offerings change (peaches and corn! arugula and cherries! watermelon and feta!).  There is something both refreshing and satisfying about this kind of dish especially because there is an ease with which it can be made which is what makes it a perfect summer dish.  

Burrata, Sugar Snap Peas, and Grapefruit

Serves 2

2 cups sugar snap peas, stems trimmed and strings removed 

1 ruby red grapefruit, sectioned (here is a wonderful tutorial if you need it!) - Keep the middle of the grapefruit!

1 cup homemade croutons

1 ball of burrata or buffalo mozzarella

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Aleppo pepper to taste (optional)

Chives for garnish

Bring a small pot of water to boil.  When the water is boiling, add the sugar snap peas and cook for 2 minutes.  Remove the sugar snap peas from the water and immediately shock them in ice cold water to stop the cooking.  Dry the beans off, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and set them aside.  

To make the dressing squeeze the leftover middle of the grapefruit into a bowl to get out as much juice as possible.  You should be able to get a tablespoon or two (if you don't enough juice just squeese one of your grapefruit sections into the bowl).  Add to the bowl with the juice the sherry vinegar, olive oil, a pinch of Aleppo pepper (if using), and salt and pepper.  Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.  

On two plates scatter the sugar snap peas.   Break the burrata up into pieces and scatter them onto the plate with the peas.  Top the burrata and sugar snap peas with the segments of grapefruit, croutons, and minced chives.  Spoon the vinaigrette over the dish. Garnish with a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper  Serve immediately.  

grapefruit olive oil pound cake.

At the onset of the hurricane, I developed a serious craving for cake.  I imagine it came about because of the delay in my visit to the Sunshine State.  (Sometimes the only way to cure your blues is with a slice of cake.)  I contemplated during the very beginning of the snowstorm, venturing out to Bed Bath and Beyond in my completely impractical shoes and non-water resistant coat to buy a set of 6-inch cake pans (something that’s been on my to-buy list for a while).  However, making a mini triple layer cake for one during a snowstorm just seemed a little overly indulgent (not that I didn’t contemplate doing so for several hours).

That evening I arrived home from work without cake and proceeded to investigate every cookbook I had in an attempt to find the recipe that would satisfy my craving.  Something simple and comforting that wouldn't take 12 bowls and 3 hours to make.  Surprise, surprise the answer was found in The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook in the form of a grapefruit olive oil pound cake. (Deb Pearlman how do you always know what I want before I even know what I want.)  This cake is oh so light.  It’s tender and subtle and everything a pound cake (and non-pound cakes!) should be.  The grapefruit and olive oil pair beautiful together (I need to eat more salads like this!) and the glaze makes it feel a little indulgent (it’s tart and sweet).  I found this best enjoyed with a cup of tea, an oversized throw blanket, a pile of the latest spring fashion magazines, and a blizzard outside your window. 

Grapefruit Olive Oil Pound Cake

Recipe from the The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

Makes one 9x5 loaf

For the cake

1 ½ cups (190 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for pan

2 tablespoons freshly grated grapefruit zest (from 1-2 large grapefruits)

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup raw or turbinado sugar (or use more granulated sugar)

½ cup olive oil

2 large eggs at room temperature

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons grapefruit juice

1/3 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt

For the syrup

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/3 cup grapefruit juice

For the glaze

1 cup confectioners sugar

2 tablespoons grapefruit juice

Pinch of salt

Heat the over to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan. 

In a large bowl, combine the two sugars and the grapefruit zest.  Rub the grapefruit zest with your fingertips.  This will help release as much grapefruit essence as possible.  Whish in the oil until smooth.  Add the eggs one at a time and whisk until combined.  Scrape down the bowl. 

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a second bowl.  In a liquid measuring cup combine the 2 tablespoons of grapefruit juice with the buttermilk (or yogurt.  Add the flour and buttermilk (yogurt) mixtures, alternating between them, to the oil-and-sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. 

Spread the batter in the pan and bang the pan on the counter a few times to make sure there are no air bubbles. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. 

For the syrup, combine the 2 tablespoons of sugar with 1/3 cup grapefruit juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. 

When the cake is finished, let it cool for 10 minutes in its pan before inverting it onto a rack.  Poke holes in the cake with a toothpick or fork.  Spoon or brush the grapefruit syrup over the cake.  Let cool completely.

For the glaze, combine the confectioner’s sugar, grapefruit juice, and pinch of salt in a bowl, whisking until smooth.  Pour the glaze over the top of the cooled cake and allow to drizzle decoratively down the sides.