Olive Oil
The most sophisticated of the four, and the one nobody expects.
The basic rule here is, there are no rules.
But here are a few anyway.
Dry additions into dry mix
Wet additions into wet mix
Add wet into dry and mix
Rub zests into sugar
Inclusions last, up to one cup
Lumps in mix are acceptable
Be inspired. Nothing here is fussy.
Olive Oil Riffs
Start with the Vanilla Bean base.
The riffs below are flavor ideas built from that one mix: seasonal, flexible, and meant to be played with. Pick the one that sounds good, use the notes, and make it yours.
Welcome to summer. This is the one summer was built for. Olive oil and lemon, bright and golden, with poppy seeds for the crunch.
Lemon + Poppy Seed
Zest two lemons, one's not enough. Poppy seeds go in dry, no need to soak.
Honey + Fig
Fresh figs if you have them, dried if you don't.
Fold in a half cup of diced figs. Honey drizzled across the top, post-bake. No other changes.
Orange + Almond
Mediterranean and bright.
Zest of one orange in the sugar, slivered almonds on top. Add the juice and cut the milk by two tablespoons.
Raspberry + White Chocolate
Tart berries against sweet white chocolate.
Fold in a cup of fresh raspberries and chopped white chocolate last. No other changes.
Lemon + Thyme
Bright and a little savory, the herb keeps it from going dessert.
Lemon zest in the sugar, a teaspoon of thyme leaves in the batter. Add the juice and cut the milk by two tablespoons.
Rosemary + Honey
Piney and golden, more grown-up than it sounds.
A teaspoon of finely chopped rosemary in the batter. Honey across the top, warm. No other changes.
Pistachio + Cardamom
Toasted pistachios and a little warmth.
A teaspoon of cardamom in the dry mix, chopped pistachios in and on top. No other changes.
Apricot + Vanilla
Soft dried apricots and a whole scraped bean.
Soak a half cup of diced apricots in warm water ten minutes, drain well. Scrape in a vanilla bean. No other changes.
Pear + Ginger
The ginger sharpens the olive oil.
Fold in a cup of diced pear and a tablespoon of grated fresh ginger. Cut the milk by two tablespoons.
Blood Orange + Olive Oil
A double hit of fruity oil and citrus.
Swap a third of the oil for good olive oil, blood orange zest in the sugar. Add the juice and cut the milk by two tablespoons.
Almond + Olive Oil
Nutty, tender, barely sweet.
Swap a third of the oil for good olive oil, a quarter teaspoon almond extract in the wet. Slivered almonds on top.