Author: Lindsay Landis

Chocolate Olive Oil & Blood Orange Cupcakes

These tender, deeply chocolate cupcakes are made with extra virgin olive oil and freshly squeezed blood orange juice, topped with a swirl of flavorful blood orange buttercream and crowned with a jewel-like candied blood orange slice. The blood orange buttercream is the star of the show: with a punchy orange flavor and gorgeous pale pink […]

The post Chocolate Olive Oil & Blood Orange Cupcakes first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

These tender, deeply chocolate cupcakes are made with extra virgin olive oil and freshly squeezed blood orange juice, topped with a swirl of flavorful blood orange buttercream and crowned with a jewel-like candied blood orange slice.

The blood orange buttercream is the star of the show: with a punchy orange flavor and gorgeous pale pink hue. The unique eggless mock meringue method produces a frosting that’s much creamier and less sweet than traditional American buttercreams.

Backlit brightly colored Chocolate Olive Oil & Blood Orange Cupcakes with one cupcake in the foreground and more cupcakes on a wire rack in the background, with fresh blood oranges, candied oranges, and frosting.

Happy blood orange season to all who celebrate!

I am a big fan of blood oranges, more than any other kind of citrus. While you’ll rarely, if ever, see me sit down and eat a regular orange, I will devour a blood orange and even choose it as an afternoon snack over chips or chocolate (gasp! I know!) I just love the bright flavor, which is like a sweeter version of a classic orange, both sweet and tart at the same time, with underlying notes of red berries. Not to mention the vibrant red color makes me ever so happy.

Needless to say, you can be sure that when blood oranges appear for a few short weeks in the middle of winter, I’ll be there, eating my fill before they disappear for another year. You can also assume I’ll be cooking, baking, or canning something with blood oranges this time of year (assuming I have some left over after stuffing my face, that is). And sure enough, I’ve put out one new blood orange recipe pretty consistently every year (there’s also a Strawberry Blood Orange marmalade recipe you’ll only find in my book, trust me when I say it’s not to be missed).

This year, I decided to revisit an old favorite and re-make my favorite chocolate blood orange cupcakes. The sunset-hued buttercream and the moist chocolate cake spiked with blood orange flavor are, simply put, stunning in both taste and appearance. Add in some fruity extra virgin olive oil in place of the usual vegetable oil in the cupcake, and you have yourself one delicious treat.

This time around I topped my cupcakes with jewel-like slices of candied blood orange, which are as gorgeous as they are delicious, and add the perfect finishing touch to the swirl of pink buttercream frosting.

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Warm Sautéed Olives with Lemon & Rosemary

Ordinary olives? No, siree! Take your next antipasto spread from basic to brilliant with these warm sautéed olives with lemon and rosemary. Simply sautéing whole olives in extra virgin olive oil and serving them warm brings out their most flavorful characteristics; with the addition of fresh lemon peel and sprigs of verdant rosemary, they are […]

The post Warm Sautéed Olives with Lemon & Rosemary first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

Ordinary olives? No, siree! Take your next antipasto spread from basic to brilliant with these warm sautéed olives with lemon and rosemary.

Simply sautéing whole olives in extra virgin olive oil and serving them warm brings out their most flavorful characteristics; with the addition of fresh lemon peel and sprigs of verdant rosemary, they are are oh so juicy and simply bursting with flavor.

Turquise ceramic dish with warm mixed color olives, shiny with pieces of lemon peel and fresh rosemary, on a turquoise background.

I’ve always loved to snack on olives (the fact that I felt like I had my own personal olive brand possibly had something to do with that).

But as much as I love olives of all kinds, I have to say that warm olives are truly a revelation—the heat allows the true flavors of the olives to shine, while allowing the firm flesh to absorb even more flavor from the olive oil, lemon, and rosemary it’s cooked with.

It’s almost magical, how much better olives become by simply warming them.

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The Best Recipes of 2023

Another year come and gone. Can you believe it? Honestly I still catch myself thinking it’s 2021, the fact that it’s going to be 2024 in a few days just boggles my mind. Needless to say, it’s been a delicious year. I published 37 recipes this year, which is a new record… low (lol). I’ve […]

The post The Best Recipes of 2023 first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

Another year come and gone. Can you believe it? Honestly I still catch myself thinking it’s 2021, the fact that it’s going to be 2024 in a few days just boggles my mind.

Needless to say, it’s been a delicious year. I published 37 recipes this year, which is a new record… low (lol). I’ve been spending more time testing, developing, and photographing recipes and writing longer, more detailed posts than ever before. The result is ultra-high quality recipes (I really think this year’s are some of my best), but fewer of them. But you know what? I’m ok with that.

I also spent some time this year going back and revisiting some old favorites (like my Olive Oil Rice Crispy Treats, Red Wine Chocolate Cake, and Chocolate Raspberry Jam), a process which involves taking new photographs, expanding on the tips and information in the post, adding process images, and updating the recipes into the new recipe format complete with gram measurements. I’m hoping to continue this in the coming year, and seeing as I’ve got 16 years worth of recipes, there are a lot of really good ones in there that deserve a second chance in the spotlight (if you have any requests, let me know in the comments!)

Anyway. I’ve done a best of post every year for the past 14 years, and want to continue that tradition, if only just because it’s fun to look back and reminisce.

These year-end posts are always fascinating to me, seeing which recipes you all loved the most and how they differed from the ones I was most excited about (although to be honest, I don’t usually post about recipes I’m not excited about.)

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Anyway. I’ve done a best of post every year for the past 14 years, and want to continue that tradition, if only just because it’s fun to look back and reminisce.

These year-end posts are always fascinating to me, seeing which recipes you all loved the most and how they differed from the ones I was most excited about (although to be honest, I don’t usually post about recipes I’m not excited about.)

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Matcha Rice Crispy Treat Christmas Trees

Chewy and gooey and gorgeously green: these festive matcha rice crispy treats are decorated to look like charming Christmas trees, with a natural green color that comes from matcha green tea powder (no food coloring required!) Matcha lovers, this one’s for you! With ample amounts of matcha powder infused in a classic marshmallow cereal treat […]

The post Matcha Rice Crispy Treat Christmas Trees first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

Chewy and gooey and gorgeously green: these festive matcha rice crispy treats are decorated to look like charming Christmas trees, with a natural green color that comes from matcha green tea powder (no food coloring required!)

Matcha lovers, this one’s for you! With ample amounts of matcha powder infused in a classic marshmallow cereal treat for a quick and easy holiday treat you’re sure to love (did I mention they make perfect homemade holiday gifts?)

Matcha Rice Crispy Treats cut into triangles and decorated like Christmas trees, one leaning up against a mug of matcha on a marble background.

Holiday rice crispy treats? Yes, please!

I debated whether or not to go full Christmas for this recipe (which, sans decoration, can really be enjoyed any time of the year!) but these tree-shaped treats (or should I say, treets?) were just too darn cute not to share.

You don’t even need cookie cutters (a usual requirement of tree-shaped goodies), as you can cut perfect triangles from a 13-by-9-pan of treats with just a few simple cuts.

Add a little drizzle of white chocolate and a few strategically-placed sprinkles and voila! Delicious and festive Rice Crispmas Treets!

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Meyer Lemon Biscotti

Perfectly crunchy and ever so flavorful, these Meyer lemon biscotti cookies are drizzled with a lemony white chocolate glaze for a gorgeous finish. Biscotti, or Italian twice-baked cookies, keep beautifully for days (even weeks!) and are sturdy enough for shipping, making them the perfect recipe for cookie swaps and holiday care packages (if you plan […]

The post Meyer Lemon Biscotti first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

Perfectly crunchy and ever so flavorful, these Meyer lemon biscotti cookies are drizzled with a lemony white chocolate glaze for a gorgeous finish.

Biscotti, or Italian twice-baked cookies, keep beautifully for days (even weeks!) and are sturdy enough for shipping, making them the perfect recipe for cookie swaps and holiday care packages (if you plan to gift these, be sure to check out the end of the post to download the free printable gift tags!)

Flat plate with randomly arranged piles of Meyer Lemon Biscotti, with a few lemons (one cut) and a white napkin in the background.

While I’m normally team chewy when it comes to cookies, biscotti may be the one exception.

Or, more specifically, good biscotti (because let’s face it, most of what’s out there are dry, crumbly, rock-hard cookies that probably cause more dental disasters than anything).

These biscotti are quite the opposite, with an almost delicate crunch and a smooth Meyer lemon flavor throughout with hints of almond and vanilla, and a drizzle of white chocolate lemon glaze for an added burst of tart lemon flavor.

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Candy Cane Cake Roll with Chocolate Peppermint Whipped Cream

Here’s a perfect addition to your Christmas table: a light and fluffy chiffon cake roll made with red and white striped batter, and filled with a spiral of chocolate peppermint whipped cream for a festive cake that’s dressed to impress. This peppermint roll cake looks and tastes like a giant candy cane (if candy canes […]

The post Candy Cane Cake Roll with Chocolate Peppermint Whipped Cream first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

Here’s a perfect addition to your Christmas table: a light and fluffy chiffon cake roll made with red and white striped batter, and filled with a spiral of chocolate peppermint whipped cream for a festive cake that’s dressed to impress.

This peppermint roll cake looks and tastes like a giant candy cane (if candy canes were soft and fluffy and filled with chocolate peppermint whipped cream). While patterned cake rolls can be challenging to bake, the work can be split up into a few days (making them a perfect make-ahead dessert!)

Plus, I’ve included lots of tips and tricks and how-to photos in this post to help you succeed in making this impressive looking dessert for your holiday celebration!

Red and white striped cake roll with one slice cut off to show a perfect spiral of chocolate peppermint whipped cream filling, with candy canes, red ornaments, and Christmas lights out of focus in the background.

A festive holiday cake roll is quickly becoming a household tradition around here. My own version of the yule log, if you will (this one not quite as obviously log-like as my chocolate chestnut cake roll which has a literal wood grain design baked right in).

I love Japanese-style cake rolls like this because they aren’t overly sweet (not to mention they’re just gosh darn cute). If you are the kind of person who finds most buttercream-frosted cakes far too sweet, chances are you’ll love this style of cake!

The cake itself is lightly sweetened and pillowy soft, with a hint of vanilla and peppermint in the cake itself, and then filled with a chocolate peppermint whipped cream filling with an ultra rich chocolate flavor while still remaining incredibly light (I think it tastes like a decadent peppermint hot chocolate that’s been whipped to a cloud-like fluff).

Red and white Peppermint cake roll with two slices cut off and laying down to show a perfect spiral of chocolate peppermint whipped cream filling, with candy canes, ornaments, and Christmas lights out of focus in the background.

Let’s talk about our feelings for a second. Excuse me, I meant fillings, not feelings, because let’s face it, that spiral of whipped chocolate goodness is really the star of the flavor train here, packed with chocolate and a lovely peppermint flavor courtesy of Amoretti’s Peppermint Extract.

For chocolate lovers, you’ll be chuffed to know that it’s not just a whipped cream with some cocoa powder added. No, I’ve used dark chocolate in addition to Dutch process cocoa powder, for a rich and chocolately cream filling that falls somewhere between a whipped ganache and a whipped cream in terms of texture (it’s denser and silkier than plain whipped cream, but lighter and airier than a mousse or whipped ganache).

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Chocolate Nutella Feuilletine Crunch

This easy and delicious crunchy candy is a textural delight: made with just 3 ingredients, this no-bake recipe comes together in under 15 minutes (plus a bit of patience while you wait for it to set, which, to be honest, is probably the hardest part of the whole process). While it may not be the […]

The post Chocolate Nutella Feuilletine Crunch first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

This easy and delicious crunchy candy is a textural delight: made with just 3 ingredients, this no-bake recipe comes together in under 15 minutes (plus a bit of patience while you wait for it to set, which, to be honest, is probably the hardest part of the whole process).

While it may not be the fanciest or most elegant looking treat, this homemade candy is like a gourmet version of a classic crunch bar, with a fudgy texture and a lovely, delicate crunch that comes from an ingredient you’ve probably never heard of before called feuilletine.

Bars of Nutella Chocolate Crunch Candy Bark scattered on a gray background, three bars stacked on a plate with one broken bar to show the crispy texture.

Now that you’ve made your own Homemade Feuilletine, you may be wondering, what do I do with it? Well, there are lots of ways, but I figured I’d share my absolute favorite quick and easy candy recipe that uses feuilletine. It’s basically a thicker version of the crispy croustillant base from my Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake, cut into bars.

With only 3 ingredients—chocolate, Nutella, and feuilletine (and maybe a sprinkle of flake salt if that floats your boat)—this homemade crunch candy is so simple I almost feel like I’m cheating even calling it a recipe. If anything, it’s more of a jumping-off point for your own experimentation and flavorful explorations.

The result is a textural delight: rich, dark chocolate softened mixed with Nutella for an almost fudge-like consistency, then folded with crispy flakes of feuilletine for a light and delicate crunch.

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Homemade Feuilletine (Pailleté Feuilletine)

Feuilletine is a pastry chef’s best kept secret, giving professional cakes and pastries that extra something special: a delicate crunch that provides the perfect textural contrast to just about any dessert. Making feuilletine from scratch is surprisingly easy (much easier than spelling it, that’s for sure), and the resulting thin, crispy flakes can be mixed […]

The post Homemade Feuilletine (Pailleté Feuilletine) first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

Feuilletine is a pastry chef’s best kept secret, giving professional cakes and pastries that extra something special: a delicate crunch that provides the perfect textural contrast to just about any dessert.

Making feuilletine from scratch is surprisingly easy (much easier than spelling it, that’s for sure), and the resulting thin, crispy flakes can be mixed into any number of confections including ganache or chocolate mousse, sprinkled between cake layers, or added to cookie batters or brownies to provide a lovely bit of added crunch.

Homemade Feuilletine flakes in a pile on a marble surface with a glass bowl filled with more feuilletine flakes in the background.

If you’ve ever had a professionally made cake or confection and noticed a mysterious yet delightful crunchy texture in one of the layers, chances are it is feuilletine.

Feuilletine, or pailleté feuilletine, is basically just a super thin crepe that’s been crumbled into flakes. If you’ve ever made crepes and noticed how the edges often get beautifully crispy (the best part of crepes if you ask me), that’s essentially just feuilletine on a smaller scale.

That ultra fine, delicate crunch that holds up in fat-based mixtures is one of feuilletine’s most unique characteristics, and not something easily replicated with other ingredients (corn flakes, crushed fortune cookies or ice cream cones, and puffed rice cereal are the most common substitutes I see recommended, and to be honest none of them even come close to the thin and delicately crispy crunch of feuilletine or its ability to stay crispy even when mixed into, say, chocolate ganache for example).

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My Favorite Cranberry Sauce Recipes & a Black Friday SALE!

Black Friday has come early this year, and everything in the L&OO shop is on sale for a limited time! Here’s your chance to grab That’s My Jam at a discounted price! Since I’m paying for printing for small runs of books, I simply can’t discount the price very much or very often, so this […]

The post My Favorite Cranberry Sauce Recipes & a Black Friday SALE! first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

Black Friday has come early this year, and everything in the L&OO shop is on sale for a limited time!

Here’s your chance to grab That’s My Jam at a discounted price! Since I’m paying for printing for small runs of books, I simply can’t discount the price very much or very often, so this is as low as it’s ever been (and as low as it’ll ever get for the foreseeable future). If you haven’t yet bought a copy, this would be a great time to buy!

Sale graphic with text reading "Black Friday SALE: 10% off everything in the shop + get a FREE special edition cranberry eBook with any That's My Jam Purchase".

Click here or use coupon code CRANBERRY for 10% off your order.

The postal service being as it is, I knew that the physical books would not arrive in time for Thanksgiving (though I’ll certainly try to get them shipped out quickly). I assumed folks would want the cranberry sauce recipes in particular ASAP, so I put together a quick little mini eBook that includes the 4 cranberry sauce recipes from That’s My Jam (including my homemade jellied cranberry sauce), an exclusive never-before-published recipe for my go-to classic chunky cranberry sauce, 3 more unique cranberry sauce recipes from the archives, and a bonus recipe for sugared cranberries (the perfect garnish for your holiday treats!)

The classic cranberry sauce recipe is particularly versatile, and includes ideas for adaptation (including reduced sugar and alternate sweeteners) as well as numerous flavor variations. The only limit is your imagination!

White bowl filled with a chunky cranberry sauce and two spoons on a white marble background.

The Cranberry Edition mini eBook is filled with 8 of my favorite cranberry sauce recipes (including an exclusive, never-before-seen recipe and a bonus recipe for sugared cranberries), just in time for Thanksgiving! Free with any That’s My Jam purchase, or you can also get a standalone copy of the Cranberry Edition for only $2.99.

Looking for Thanksgiving menu inspiration? Browse all my past Thanksgiving recipes — from stuffing and potatoes to gravy and pies galore, I’ve got you covered!

And don’t forget to take advantage of the Black Friday sale, save 10% on everything in the shop (with coupon code CRANBERRY) plus get the free cranberry ebook with every That’s My Jam purchase. Buy act fast, as this sale is only valid through 11/30.

(psst! If you’ve already purchased a hardcover copy of That’s My Jam and want the Cranberry Edition mini eBook, just shoot me an email and I’ll send it to you straight away!)

Caramel Pumpkin Cookies with Salted Caramel Frosting

Pumpkin season is in full swing, and these lightly spiced caramel pumpkin cookies are infused with luscious caramel flavor and frosted with a silky smooth caramel meringue buttercream—they’re just what you’ve been craving. Texture is everything, and these pumpkin cookies are ultra-soft and oh-so-chewy, with a swoop of the creamiest, fluffiest buttercream you’ve ever had […]

The post Caramel Pumpkin Cookies with Salted Caramel Frosting first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

Pumpkin season is in full swing, and these lightly spiced caramel pumpkin cookies are infused with luscious caramel flavor and frosted with a silky smooth caramel meringue buttercream—they’re just what you’ve been craving.

Texture is everything, and these pumpkin cookies are ultra-soft and oh-so-chewy, with a swoop of the creamiest, fluffiest buttercream you’ve ever had (it’s actually a hybrid meringue buttercream, making it less sweet and more buttery than its American counterpart).

Wire baking rack with rows of frosted Caramel Pumpkin Cookies dusted with cinnamon, decorative orange pumpkins and bowl of frosting in the background.

What’s not to love about these soft, frosted caramel pumpkin cookies?

The texture of the cookie is perfectly soft and chewy, not dry and cakey like pumpkin cookies tend to be.

But what really takes them to the next level is the salted caramel buttercream: it’s fluffy and buttery and caramel-y without being overly sweet, the perfect compliment to the lightly spiced pumpkin cookie.

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