24 cookies
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¾ teaspoon ground cloves
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar, plus ⅓ cup for rolling cookies
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅓ cup molasses
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves in a bowl until thoroughly combined and set aside.
Using an electric mixer, cream the butter for 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar and ½ cup granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes with mixer set at medium speed. Add egg, vanilla extract, and molasses. Beat until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
Place remaining ⅓ cup of granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Working with 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll dough into 1¾-inch balls. Roll balls in sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them 1½–2 inches apart.
Bake until the outer edges of the cookies begin to set and centers are soft and puffy, about 11–13 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets for 2–3 minutes before transferring them to cooling racks.
Be careful not to overbake. The centers of the cookies should be somewhat soft and spongy when you take them out of the oven.
2½ cups unbleached white flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
4 large eggs
1½ cups granulated sugar
1 cup light olive oil
1¼ cups freshly squeezed blood orange juice
Zest from the oranges used for the juice (usually 3 or 4)
2 teaspoons fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two standard loaf pans. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy—about five minutes. Switching mixer to low speed, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until thoroughly combined. Keeping the mixer on low speed, slowly add the blood orange juice, blood orange zest, thyme, and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix.
Pour the batter into the greased loaf pans. Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Allow cakes to cool completely on a rack, then store in an airtight container for up to five days. A lighter, not terribly sweet olive oil cake, the loaves can be sliced and served as is, or dusted lightly with confectioners’ sugar. This cake freezes quite well.