so i'm back from a quick trip to oakland, ca to visit the california olive ranch! it was a day and a half worth of meals, events, talking to some amazing chefs and people, and visiting the ranch and mill where my favorite olive oil is made! i feel like i need another whole other post to recap what an awesome experience it was to learn about the olive oil process from so many passionate and dedicated workers. it's such a beautiful thing to not only see, but feel the love and pride that people take in their job and for those they work beside each day. plus, i got to hang with this lovely lady the entire trip, and to meet the beautiful people behind some of my favorite blogs: michelle, nik, phi, phyllis, and todd!

while i'm sure we all love cooking with olive oil - using it dressings, and for drizzling - i love using it in all sorts of desserts - cookies, cakes, breads, and muffins. i'm a sucker for anything cake-y but what i'm sometimes put off by is that hit-you-over-the-head sweetness that some can have. but when i bake with olive oil it offers just the perfect amount of earthiness while also providing the fat content which gives baked goods that moist and delicious texture we know and love. the ranchers at the olive oil ranch explained to us that because olives are a fruit, their oil is essentially fruit juice, and because there is no chemical processing, nor any high temperatures involved in the oil developing process, it retains much of its natural nutrients even when in oil form. after seeing the how california olive ranch's oil was made that notion of olive juice still stands out as one of the most interesting things i learned those couple of days.

hope you all are having wonderful weeks! xo

*this post was sponsored by california olive ranch, all opinions are totally my own.

olive oil + dark chocolate chunk loaf w/ pears | dolly and oatmeal

olive oil + dark chocolate chunk bread w/ pears (gf + df)

this is a dense, but not overly rich quick bread. i often have a slice as a treat after breakfast, or an afternoon snack. it could also be great as a dessert with maybe some coconut cream, or a scoop of your favorite ice cream.

| makes 1 loaf |

1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1/4 cup arrowroot flour/powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon psyllium husk powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup california olive ranch extra virgin olive oil (for baking i like using their everyday oil)
2/3 cup coconut sugar
2 large pasture raised eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pear, diced small
1/2 cup chocolate chunks, extra for topping
handful of chopped walnuts

method

preheat oven to 350°F. oil a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper letting sides of paper hang over like wings; set aside.
in a large bowl, whisk together the flours, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, psyllium husk, spices, and salt until thoroughly combined; set aside. in another large bowl, whisk together the oil and sugar until the mixture appears sandy, then add the eggs and whisk until combined. whisk in the applesauce and the vanilla until combined. using a rubber spatula, add the dry ingredients into the wet in 3 applications until mixture is smooth. fold in the diced pears and chocolate chunks.
evenly pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, top with extra chocolate and the chopped walnuts.
bake for 35-40 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. remove bread and place on a rack to cool for roughly 30 minutes. then use the parchment wings to lift the bread from the pan; let it cool completely before slicing.

enjoy!