Alert! You might react to these in three different ways! You might immediately fall in love with the contrast of the briny, salty olives with the sweet, smooth, creaminess of milk chocolate.
Or you might immediately know that this is not a match for you. And it might piss you off.
Or…you might be confused and feel like you don’t think it’s a good match, but after cautiously taking a few more bites, you decide that it works! This was my reaction.
I initially heard of cookies with olives from this place here, and immediately took the advice from the chef that if you are using Kalamata olives, to pair it with milk chocolate, and not bittersweet, which made perfect sense to me. The creamy mellowness of milk chocolate really complements the briny saltiness of Kalamata olives.
As much as I like nuts in my brownies, I decided to not add any nuts, and I think that was the right choice.
So give Kalamata Olives and chocolate a chance!
Kalamata Olive Brownies (adapted from this Milk Chocolate Brownies recipe)
ingredients
4 ounces unsalted butter
8 ounces fine quality milk chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
about 40 Greek Kalamata Olives, sliced
method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch square baking pan. (I used a 11-inch by 7-inch rectangular pan.)
Melt butter and HALF of the chocolate (reserving the other half for later) in a 1.5 quart saucepan over LOW heat. Stirring until smooth. Do not overheat. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm.
Stir in brown sugar and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time. Beating well after each addition. Mixture will be glossy and smooth.
Whisk together the flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder in a separate bowl, then add into the chocolate mixture.
Pour into the prepared pan and scatter the remaining chocolate first, followed by the sliced Greek Kalamata olives.
Bake for about 30 minutes. Mine took 27 minutes. Remove and cool slightly before cutting into squares.
DAVE BAKES
11 responses to “Kalamata Olive Brownies”
Wait, wait, wait. I had to do a double take. Really? You liked it? I love them both but together….
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes! It took me awhile, but once I took several tastes, it does go together. Dare I say, they go well, even. But it has to be milk chocolate, especially for Kalamata. But I know it is not going to thrill everyone.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sweet and salty chocolate? Makes perfect sense! 🙂
LikeLike
It did take me a sec; the brine reminded me of fish, and I’m not sure fish and chocolate would work. But who knows? Haha!
LikeLiked by 1 person
lol As much as I love to experiment with food, I think I’ll draw the line with fish and chocolate… Unless maybe adding just a bit of cocoa powder to a spicy rub…
I was thinking about the brine and thought that slat cured olives could work so well with acidic dried fruits like cranberries. Thanks for the inspiration! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Looks tasty
LikeLiked by 1 person
They are. I think they taste even better the next day. Not sure how long they keep, though.
LikeLike
I’ll give it a chance, sounds interesting!
LikeLike
Hearing feedback from my co-workers, it seems that if you are a fan of both, you are more likely to accept and enjoy the combo, rather than if you are not a big fan of one of them (chocolate or kalamata olives). I hope you like it! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like both, seems that I would like the combo too 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] last time I made something sweet with Kalamata olives was when I put them in brownies! I understood completely the somewhat negative reactions of some coworkers, because I myself had […]
LikeLike