The holiday season draws people together, often over food. This year, rather than using carrots, apples, or chocolate in holiday goodies, try switching it up with recipes that include olives. Yes, olives.
Olives from Spain have introduced baked goods recipes with “the Mediterranean touch” to finish holiday meals with olive-laden desserts. To get cooks started, sweet-tooth satisfying recipes were released via their website, www.haveanoliveday.eu (Have An Olive Day).
Two Christmas recipes spotlighted by Olives from Spain:
- Olives and pine nuts brownie (Recipe)
Black olives and dark chocolate are incorporated to put a new spin on everyone’s favorite gooey cake. - Black olive chip muffins (Recipe)
The second recipe features olive oil as well as olives, a lighter alternative to butter.
Both recipes call for types of “Hojiblanca” olives (a black variety) to be dehydrated before adding to dough. When trying one of these unique recipes, be sure to use the correct olive variety. If a recipe calls for black olives, likely green, stuffed, or other olive varieties would not give the dessert the right taste.
While your family may expect carrot muffins, chocolate brownies, or even fruitcake at the holiday meal, shake it up a bit and slide some olive-filled brownies or muffins in front of them. It may be best to give fair warning before they take their first bite. Anyone who embraces the Mediterranean Diet will likely be thrilled.
Olives are “one of the few fruits from a tree with the four basic flavors of sweet, salty, sour and bitter,” according to INTERACEITUNA, the Inter-Professional Table Olive Organization.
INTERACEITUNA promotes knowledge of the Spanish table olive and conducts research and development related to the product and production techniques.
Last month, Olives from Spain released recipes for Thanksgiving, including an olive-stuffed turkey recipe that used pimiento-stuffed olives.
Source: Olives from Spain