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 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.)

(more…)

from Love and Olive Oil https://ift.tt/2t8HiBs

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 for a quick and easy holiday treat you’re sure to love (did I mention they make perfect homemade holiday gifts?)

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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from Love and Olive Oil https://ift.tt/TkpKQ32

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 to gift these, be sure to check out the end of the post to download the free printable gift tags!)

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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from Love and Olive Oil https://ift.tt/DQMHlmk

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 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!

This recipe was created in partnership with Amoretti (use coupon code LOVEANDOLIVEOILFREESHIP for free shipping on your order!) All opinions expressed here are my own.

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).

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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from Love and Olive Oil https://ift.tt/OmqT20b