Did you hear all that screaming coming from my house a few weeks back? Well, those were happy screams! The kind folks over at Colavita Olive Oil had called to tell me that I was the Grand Prize Winner in their Win a Trip to Italy Better Than Butter Recipe Contest for my "Chocolate Covered Cherry Pistachio Cookies!"
The challenge: Create a recipe using Colavita Olive Oil in place of butter. It had to be an original recipe that traditionally uses butter and be accompanied by a 3-minute or less how-to video. Since the Grand Prize was an all expenses paid trip to Italy, I wanted to create a worthy recipe as well as an entertaining video that would catch the contest judge's attention. Using their product was the easy part because I'm a huge fan and love the philosophy of their company. The recipe was a challenge but it was for a trip to Italy so I pulled out all the stops! The end result is sweet and salty perfection. "Chocolate Covered Cherry Pistachio Cookies"--- make a batch today!
Here's my how-to video for "Chocolate Covered Cherry Pistachio Cookies:"
As a side note, recipe contests are my hobby and I have had some amazing experiences --- many can be seen on my Contest Experiences page. Rest assured that any recipe you find here on my site is original and has been tested unless otherwise noted. When I create a recipe for a contest, I want to make certain that it turns out perfectly the first time a contest official makes it. Because of that, my recipes are tested and retested until they are just right. Competition is steep in recipe contests and a simple mistake can disqualify a recipe from consideration, regardless of how good it is. So know you can trust these recipes --- there is no virtual cooking going on here!
Here's what you need...
...to make these...
Chocolate Covered Cherry Pistachio Cookies
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Extra Virgin Olive Oil replaces butter in these sweet and salty Chocolate Covered Cherry Pistachio Cookies. Bet you can't eat just one!
Author: Brett@MisterMartha.com
Recipe type: Sweet Treats
Serves: 16 Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ½ cup (about 2.5-ounces) semisweet chocolate chunks
- ⅓ cup (about 2-ounces) bittersweet chocolate chunks
- 3 tablespoons Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup dried tart cherries, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup coarsely chopped (lightly salted and roasted) shelled pistachios, divided use
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- Add the semisweet and bittersweet chocolates and olive oil to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high until melted, about 90 seconds. Add the brown and granulated sugars and stir to incorporate. Add the eggs and stir to combine.
- Mix together the chocolate and flour mixtures until combined. Add the cherries and ¾ cup nuts and mix to combine.
- Drop by spoonfuls onto prepared pan to make 16 equal portions, about 2 tablespoons each. Lightly press with moistened fingers to flatten. Top with remaining ¼ cup nuts, pressing lightly to adhere, and bake until the edges and set and cookies are slightly cracked, 10-12 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet 5 minutes before placing on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
The recipe calls for both semisweet and bittersweet chocolates. I like the complexity both add to the recipe but if you only have one or the other on hand, it's not a deal breaker! Enjoy!
Go to Colavita.com for an easy olive oil to butter conversion chart and to check out their fine products!
I can see why you won the trip to Italy!!! These sound incredible!
Great Video!!!! Very creative how you put that all together. Congratulations on your trip!!!!
spectacular video and the cookies sound and look delicious!
Congrats Brett! Wonderful video and looking forward to trying your recipe.
Congratulations on your win!!! These cookies look great. Just love your video. I hear you’re going to be a Camp Blog Away. Would love to meet you.
Congratulations. Love you video, very creative and the cookies sound delish as well. Enjoy your trip!
Wow, marvelous weblog format! How long have you ever been running a blog for?
you make blogging glance easy. The total look of your website is excellent, as smartly as the content material!
I’ve been searching for dried cherries but I can’t find them anywhere where I live in Japan 🙁 Do you think something like cranberries would make a good substitute?
Hi Felice! I definitely think the dried cranberries will work for you–the recipe is quite forgiving. I’m craving some now!
Great! Thanks for the help! I’ll continue gathering ingredients then 😉
Let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Will do!!
Made your cookies last night! They turned out perfect 😀 Such an awesome combo. Here’s my picture: http://cooksnaps.com/en/cooksnaps/chocolate-covered-cherry-pistachio-cookies-and-a-trip-to-italy
FANTASTIC! Those look better than mine! 😉 I am so happy you liked them–I’ll have to try with cranberries! Thanks for making my day! CookSnaps.com is a great idea–excellent site and I love the interaction!
Yay! I’m glad you liked the picture! Must find cherries… 😉