Today I’m excited to share this recipe I created in collaboration with Capay Valley Ranches®. As always, all opinions written are purely our own. We’re incredibly grateful for opportunities like these that allow us to continue sharing delicious recipes with you, so thank you for supporting us and the brands we love. OH! And be sure you don’t miss the amazing giveaway at the end of this post. :)
It shouldn’t be surprising (based on the name of this blog) that we go through a lot of olive oil. It’s our go-to oil and we couldn’t live without it (well, we could, but we wouldn’t be very happy about it). That said, I’ll admit I often overlook it for baking projects in lieu of butter. And that’s a shame, because olive oil is really underutilized when it comes to sweets.
That was my goal with these cookies: to show how well olive oil works for baking. The result is a soft and chewy sugar cookie, straight out of your dreams. They are light in texture and incredibly buttery, surprisingly so, as they are made with no butter at all.
Instead, I used Capay Valley Ranches’ Meyer Lemon Infused Olive Oil, and the results will delight your tastebuds, with a candy-like sweetness and lemon flavor, and just a subtle hint of olive oil shining through. My neighbor (with whom I shared some of the leftovers) described them as transcendent, and rightfully so. You may never use butter again.
I made a version of these cookies as well with the unflavored, but ultra fruity Arbequina olive oil from CVR, and it was shocking how strongly the flavor came through even after baking. There was no denying the presence of the olive oil, and it was intriguing to say the least. While ultimately I decided the lemon version was my favorite, I definitely think the blood orange infused olive oil (that I’ve shared with you before) would be equally amazing.
I’ve fallen in love with these olive oils and vinegars from Capay Valley Ranches (based out of the Capay valley in California’s central valley), and I know you will too. Their Arbequina varietal is a delicate oil that brings together the ripe olive aroma with a fresh fruity taste. It’s wonderfully smooth and buttery and perfect for everyday use. And their flavored varieties, along with their array of flavored vinegars, are truly special creations. All of Capay Valley Ranches’ oils are California grown certified 100% EVOO.
Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
- 1/3 cup Capay Valley Ranches® Meyer Lemon Infused Olive Oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- In a bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a second large bowl, combine sugar and olive oil and mix with a spatula until it forms a grainy paste. Add eggs and vanilla and stir until smooth. Fold in dry ingredients until just incorporated. You should have a fairly soft, oily dough.
- Fill a small dish with more granulated sugar. Scoop dough by the tablespoonful into balls and roll in sugar to coat. Arrange on a nonstick or parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between cookies.
- Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until tops are puffed and crackly and edges just start to turn light golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies are best enjoyed the day they are made, but will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
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Meyer Lemon for sure! Lemon is my favorite springtime flavor.
I subscribe to Love and Oil already
The basil infused oil sounds like it would make an amazing vinaigrette!
Just subscribed…so happy I found your blog – can’t wait to receive the updates!
Artisan whole grain bread, avocado slices, Meyer Lemon Olive Oil drizzle & a sprinkle of pink Himalayan sea salt = delicious!
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Meyer Lemon and the Elderberry vinegar – those two sound amazing! I’d love to make these sugar cookies, and then maybe make a glaze for bruschetta with the vinegar?
I want the lemon olive oil! I’d use it to try to make theses cookies. I also would use it to make salad dressing! The lemon olive oil with a little kosher salt and grinded black pepper would make for a refreshing salad!
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I would try the balsamic vinegar first in a dressing for a summer salad with mixed greens, oranges, strawberries, nuts, cucumbers.
I would love to make the Meyer Lemon Olive Oil sugar cookies and the Blood Orange Brownie recipe I found! I’m sure smiles would fill my house with these yummy oils and vinegars!
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Persian Lime Infused Olive Oil. I would love to try this on salmon.
the basil oil ! love it for pizza or dipping french bread!
I want to try the lemon because lemon is one of my favorite flavors. Can’t wait to try these cookies.
I think I’d like to try the lemon oil. That sounds like it would be perfect with some lemon dill chicken!
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Thank you for the awesome giveaway. I would be grateful to try any of the flavors.
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I’d love to try the blood orange olive oil in a cake with almonds and I’m sure the elderberry vinegar would be delicious in a vinaigrette.
Those cookies look awesome! I love anything with citrus.
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I think that the first I’d try is the Basil infused olive oil, and drizzle it on my homemade pizza before baking for an added flavor boost.
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The blood orange olive oil for sure! I can’t get enough of them right now :)
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I would use the lemon in the cookie above. I would also like to try to the orange oil with the cranberry vinegar for a dressing. That would taste amazing!!
Would likely try the meyer lemon to oil poach shrimp and combine it with the elderflower balsamic in a salad. Some cupcake combo with the cranberry vinegar and the orange oil would also be yummy.
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Blood orange sounds delicious!
It’s a tie! I would adore trying the Meyer Lemon (over steamed broccoli) or the Cranberry (over mixed greens)!
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I would love to try the blood orange olive oil.
I would use the blood orange olive oil with the cranberry vinegar to make an oil-and-vinegar dressing that I think would be delicious on a spring salad made of spinach, pea shoots, arugula, cranberries, strawberries, and pecans.
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I want to try both the Blood Orange Oil and the Pear Vinegar. (can’t decide if they would go together…. I’m kinda leaning towards no….)
i would love to try the blood orange in cookies
I would love to use the blood orange olive oil in my mom’s pound cake recipe. I think it would add a nice “twang” of flavor.
I would really enjoy trying either the meyer lemon or the blood orange infused olive oil. I would either use it in salad dressings, or make a cake/cookies from them.
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I would be excited for all of them but I would be the most excited about the Meyer lemon flavor. I would love to bake with it…maybe lemon poppyseed muffins? Possibilities are endless!
Basil infused oil for me.
Basil oil poured over fresh pasta with tomatoes,mozzarella and peas. Maybe a chickpea crostini with the oil as a side.
I would LOVE to try any of them as part of a marinade for salmon – I think they would be so yummy mixed with some other spices! My roommate and I also always whip up giant batches of pasta with tons of veggies and we use olive oil as our sauce… so these would be the perfect addition. :)
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I think I would be most excited to use the lemon and the blood orange olive oils. I think they would be interesting to try in stir fry.
I would love to try the Meyer Lemon Olive Oil drizzled on roasted asparagus!
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I’d love to try the Meyer Lemon olive oil in my lemon, parsley and parmesan spaghetti!
Basil, to drizzle on caprese salad.
I would love to use the blood orange olive oil in an olive oil ice cream! Too tasty! A grown up orangesicle!
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I would love to try the Meyer Lemon Olive Oil. I think that would be great on steamed vegetables.
The meyer lemon, definitely! I’d probably dress pasta with it.
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The meyer lemon olive oil and pear balsamic sound delicious. I’d love to try this in a few different baked goods and of course on salad. Yum!
persian lime sounds delicious
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I’m intrigued by the elderberry vinegar! Would love a chance to try them all!
The elderberry balsamic would be delicious cooked down and served over vanilla ice cream and strawberries!
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The ‘Blood Orange’ sounds fantastic! Being the fact that cookies and salads are my most favorite things on the planet, I would use it to make both if I won.
I would try your cookies with the blood orange. I love flavored olive oils and vinegars. They make basic salad dressings sing!
ooh! Basil olive oil with strawberries, a touch of balsalmic, a bit of mozzarella….
balsalmic roasted rhubarb in a tart….
A pear vinegar would work beautifully with a purple braised cabbage and pears.
I would love to try the cranberry balsamic – it would be fabulous drizzled on top of grilled chicken served on a bed of spinach – yum!
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Yum! It’s hard to resist a basil infused olive oil, but the d’anjou pear infused balsamic also looks fantastic! Thanks for offering this giveaway!
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The Meyer Lemon infused would be my top pick and I would try out your meyer lemon olive oil sugar cookies. Have never baked with olive oil but have always wanted to try it out!
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I would try the blood orange oil in brownies!
I cook everything in olive oil from all different regions in europe. i love the texture,the flavors and enhancement that they bring to almost everything i cook.
As good as those oils sound, I would really like to try the cranberry balsamic vinegar!!
I just love any baked item with lemon. I do have to try the lemon infused olive oil in my baking. That sounds awesome!
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I’d love to try the Blood Orange in cookies!
These look amazing! I’m wondering if it’s possible to change up the recipe to still include olive oil and lemon juice/zest without using the infused version? I could look for lemon infused olive oil but the chances are these won’t be available where I live. Thanks!
I’d like the blood orange infused oil to use in baking.
Already subscribed to the newsletter and thank goodness! I get so excited just looking at all these. Can you imagine caprese with the basil olive oil or classic balsamic, glazing salmon with the blood orange or Meyer lemon, and totally upgrading your salad dressings and vinagrettes with all of these bottles of happiness!