GIVEAWAY CLOSED; A WINNER HAS BEEN SELECTED!!
Congratulations, Samantha!! Your comment telling me you liked Lucero Olive Oil on FB is what scored you a free(!!) bottle of Chocolate EVOO! Enjoy dipping bread or making brownies with this stuff–or take some suggestions from the other awesome comments!! Your email has been sent; email me back ASAP or a new winner will be drawn.
THANK YOU again to everyone who entered, as well as Lucero Farms for sponsoring this delicious giveaway!! I loved reading all of your unique and yummy suggestions and I’m so glad I still have some oil left to whip some of your ideas into tangible reality.
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Up until a few years ago, I was completely ignorant in the kitchen and didn’t know how to bake, cook, wash a dish, or do anything except pour a bowl of cereal into a pot and call it a dinner.
I certainly didn’t know what olive oil was. Isn’t it like, the same thing as oil? Isn’t that the stuff you put in your car? Whatever, I’m gonna go blast some emo music in my room to drown out my pre-adolescent sorrows. Being thirteen is hard.
But then I started watching the Food Network and people like Rachael Ray basically survived on the stuff. I don’t think I learned anything from Rachael except that you must coat your pan with EVOO.
So when I started cooking, I became adamant about EVOO. Olive oil is totally good for you, people! You can use it on your hair (shiny strands), your nails (buffed & beautiful cuticles), your skin (hello, softness) and in your food. That’s like a magic potion in a bottle, endorsed by Rach herself. Yum-O!
But have you noticed most people don’t usually bake with olive oil? It’s kind of taboo. There are few recipes out there featuring olive oil as their “fat” component. It’s all butter (good) and canola oil (common). What about the olive oil?!!?
So when I found out my math professor (Hi, Professor Lucero!) and her husband, Dewey, owned and operated their own olive oil company called Lucero Olive Oil, I was stoked! Finally, I could potentially have access to some seriously yummy oils, mustards, and tapenades… the possibilities and ideas!
While I have no idea what’s going on in math class as I’m too busy thinking of recipes rather than linear equations, I did come up with this truly decadent recipe for a cupcake featuring a very special oil from their farm.
Chocolate. Olive. Oil.
Yup. Chocolate flavored oil.
How is such a beautiful creation even possible?! The world has many mysteries.
However, I must say, it’s perfect. In general, over ice cream (yes!) and in this rich cupcake. And because olive oil and chocolate could not be enough, I subjected this cake to even more deliciousness by making it with red wine and blackberries with a fresh blackberry buttercream frosting.
Math whaaaa?
Blackberry Wine & Chocolate-Olive Oil Cupcakes *adapted from Love & Olive Oil’s recipe
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup Lucero chocolate olive oil (in a pinch, light olive oil works)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup pureed fresh blackberries (or 1/2 cup seedless blackberry jam)
2 cups sugar
1 & 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
Blackberry Buttercream Frosting (recipe & ingredients follow)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 muffin tins with 24 paper liners. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder and soda and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the eggs, buttermilk, wine, olive oil, vanilla extract and pureed blackberries or jam. Begin gradually adding the dry ingredients into the wet, mixing well after each addition until a very thin batter has formed.
3. Portion batter evenly among muffin tins, filling about 2/3 full. Bake for approximately 14-16 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely, & prepare the frosting.
Blackberry Buttercream Frosting
1/3 cup pureed fresh blackberries or jam
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
About 6 cups powdered sugar
Splash of Lucero chocolate oil
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the pureed berries, butter and vanilla until blended. Gradually add powdered sugar, about one cup at a time, until light and fluffy. Blend in the splash of oil for an extra richness, because everyone wants to be extra-rich.
2. Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes. Garnish with edible pearls or a fresh blackberry, if desired. Store airtight in the fridge.
Okay, so you wanna know the BEST part of all this (besides a cupcake featuring oil, wine AND chocolate)?!? You can win your own free! bottle of Lucero Chocolate Oil!!
The amazing folks at Lucero Olive Oil are giving one lucky reader a free bottle of their delicious and unique chocolate olive oil so you can experience this scrumptious madness, too.
To Enter, leave ONE comment telling me how you would use this one-of-a-kind oil. In cupcakes? Brownies? Cookies? Ice cream? In actual savory food? I wanna know!
To receive a BONUS entry, go to Lucero Olive Oil’s FB page and ‘Like’ them. Then come back and tell me so in an additional comment.
I’ll be running this giveaway from 2/7/12 until 2/13/12 (Monday) where I’ll draw a winner via Random.Org at approximately 8PM PST. I’ll email the winner Monday night as well as post their name on this post. If I don’t hear from the winner within 36 hours I will pick and email a new one. This giveaway is only open to US residents. (I promise all my other lovely international friends will get one soon!)
So please! make sure you leave me your comment with your name and a valid email address in order to be eligible to win this prize. Lucero Olive Oil and I reserve the right to revoke or alter this giveaway at any time, with or without notice. All inappropriate or invalid entries will be disqualified.
A super-special THANK YOU!! to the amazing masterminds behind Lucero Olive Oil for sponsoring this giveaway!! Be sure to check out their website for more yummy things like Mandarin oil or Tequila Jalapeno Mustard. YES. PLEASE.
Good luck!!
xo, Hayley
Jill Lang says
Those cupcakes look yummy! And if I won the chocolate Evoo I would try to make a mole sauce.
Amanda says
I would make a chocolate sour cream cupcake with it!
Elizabeth Cogan says
I want to win this bad
Kara says
I would use it to fry strawberries to put over a dessert or icecream. Or use it to fry some sort of a dessert. =) And I would def be making this delicious cupcake recipe.
Kara says
I liked Lucero Olive Oil’s fb page =) Even if I don’t win (still hope I do =) ), I think I may buy a bottle anyways, it sounds amazing.
Ashley @ Kitchen Meets Girl says
Whaaaat?!? CHOCOLATE olive oil? Man, this has my name all.over.it. Since I’m a sweets-lover, I’d probably start by trying it in some fudgy brownies. Or cupcakes. Maybe a cake. Oh, let’s get real; I’d probably use it in all of them–maybe even in one weekend!
Your cupcakes are gorgeous!
Susan @ The Weekly Sweet Experiment says
Oh my – I have never seen chocolate olive oil! Sounds delicious and your cupcakes look great. There are so many ways to use it – hmmm.. I might have to start with these cupcakes. Chocolate and wine go so well together! Susan – currier99@hotmail.com
Susan @ The Weekly Sweet Experiment says
I liked them on FB also! Susan – currier99@hotmail.com
amy marantino says
i would use it to make some sort of bread.
Michelle says
I would totally mix it with some vodka! Michelle UTbabe0310@aol.com
Georgette Albini says
I would love to rub the chocolate olive oil on my arms, chest & shoulders. My skin would be so soft and I would smell lucious. My friends at jazzercise would love the aroma!
Hillari says
Wow! They really look and sound terrific! I would like it in a gelato as well as used with a flavored (maybe blueberry) basalmic with a little sea salt – YUM!
Lisa @ Sweet as Sugar Cookies says
I would probably use them in cookies.
Meryl says
I’d make a deep dark chocolate cake with this olive oil!
Louis says
I’d do some kind of chocolate dessert “soup” or a salad dressing with mixed greens and fruit.
Letty says
Totally love Lucero’s! Stock up whenever I’m in the area. I definitely want to try these cupcakes, and perhaps a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie. I’ve used their balsamic vinegars in some of my jam recipes. I even made a white peach balsamic jam w/ basil that uses a splash of their basil olive oil!
Sharon Read says
My Mind went crazy with soooo many ideas…..choc chip pancakes, or my white choc chip bread pudding !!!!!!!! the use is endless……
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
That’s amazing! I’ve never heard of it but I want to try it. 🙂
Linda Greenway says
I liked them on FB and I would make these cause they sound delish and let the kids figure out what to do with the rest of the oil as they LVOE to help me in the kitchen and come up with some GREAT ideas 😀 email in case I’m lucky enough to win is lindaluvztinkerbell@yahoo.com Thank you 😀
jen eggink says
I’m thinking need to tackle these cupcakes first!!!! Yummo. Who knew Choc olive oil yum
jen eggink says
Liked them too!
Wehaf says
I would use this in a citrus-flavored cake!
Sarah says
Ahh…how come I didn’t see this earlier! First, LOVE the cupcake recipe! I have so many backlogged from you…what to do??? 🙂 Okay, can I be vague and say that I vow to make my very first cupcake with it? I’ve never made one from scratch {gasp!}. What a fun giveaway Hayley! I’ll share if I win 😉
Angela snoozy says
I would try ur cupcakes and also try it is cookies.
andysavi.mom@gmail.com
Angela snoozy says
Liked them on fb
andysavi.mom@gmail.com
Julie says
I think I’d try to make chocolate bread with an olive oil dip…like a dessert version of Italian dipping oils.
Pam says
mandarin orange chocolate olive oil (wheat) muffins – yum 🙂 I love chocolate and orange flavors together – with a delicious cup of coffee – heaven.
Jacqueline says
These cupcakes look and sound absolutely wonderful! I’m going to have to try this recipe, FOR SURE. And I’m very intrigued by this chocolate olive oil! I think I’d like to drizzle it over homemade popcorn with some sea salt…and I really like Wehaf’s citrus olive oil cake idea, too!
Jacqueline says
I just “liked” Lucero Olive Oil on Facebook, too! Now that I’ve stared at pictures of their product a little bit longer, I’m almost certain that I’ve tried their mandarin olive oil, which is divine. Whether I win or not, I’ll definitely give their chocolate olive oil a try!
Savory Simple says
Ooo this would definitely go in chocolate olive oil cake. Maybe in the buttercream as well?
Savory Simple says
I like them on FB!
Monica says
My mouth is watering! Those cupcakes sound so amazing! And chocolate olive oil too, wow. If I won I’d probably have to start with those. I bet it would be amazing over ice cream & strawberries too!
Cheryl W. says
I think I would use this in my chili recipe. I think it would add a smooth, creamy, slightly sweet note that is so needed in an award winning southern chili.
Cheryl W. says
I like Lucero Olive Oil’s Facebook page. (Cheryl HeartnSoulmom)
Ellen says
Oooooh, I’d make an Italian olive oil and fig cake. Yup, I have a recipes already and this oil would be an amazing addition! 🙂 (sorry for the double posting…the first one didn’t answer your ??) Thanks, Hayley!
Renee says
OMG-Chocolate olive oil? I would love to use it in a cake, but probably lots of other desserts, too. Your cupcakes look great, by the way 😉
Amy Ballou says
I would try and make a glaze for steak or chicken.
Amy Ballou says
I liked the FB page too
Ellen says
BIWB just liked Lucero Oil on FB! We can see this as a new secret ingredient…
Deanne H. says
I love olive oil and I love chocolate. What a combination. I would use it for making delicious brownies.
Teddie says
I would use this 4-in-1 oil in my French Quarter Donuts…
Durelle Kurlinski says
If I could get my hands on this chocolate olive oil I would do two things, the first would be pancakes – can you imagine chocolate pancakes with fresh strawberry cream! YUMMY!
then I would use it in my next loaf of sourdough bread – only with this one I would do the chocolate olive oil and orange zest – nothing better than chocolate with oranges!
Samantha says
Chocolate evoo? Sounds heavenly. Maybe a chocolate bread creation and dipping it in this creation but brownies with it sound amazing.
Samantha says
Liked them on Facebook, too!
Jocelyn says
How in the world did I miss this post? Those cupcakes look awesome!!! My mind is spinning with all kinds of cookie ideas:-)
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel says
Seriously, wine in cupcakes!??! Need to try this ASAP!
Cheryl says
I would try it in cakes, cookies brownies cheesecakes and pies