CHOCOLATE, OLIVE OIL, BOURBON—and a Spoon

I had Nutella on my grocery list when I received a copy of David Lebovitz’ new cookbook, The Great Book of Chocolate. As I browsed through the pages, I came upon a very simple recipe for a chocolate olive oil spread. It looked like a chocolate lovers “adult” version of the popular chocolate hazelnut spread and I knew I had to try it immediately!

Spoiler alert, Nutella got crossed permanently off my grocery list as this spread is the perfect balance of sweet with a little savory coming from the olive oil and deeply chocolatey. It’s infinitely satisfying. It’s also quick and easy to make so there is really no excuse not to make it!

The recipe originally came from Deb Pearlman, an excellent cook and baker and the founder of the well-known site/brand Smitten Kitchen, (and her substack). I’ve made many of her recipes and trust her recipes not only to work but to taste great.

After I made it the first time, I couldn’t help myself from tasting it on a spoon, even though it was too warm to spread. But be patient because as it cools and thickens, the flavors come together and really bloom. The addition of a bit of flaky sea salt or fleur de sel on top also brings out all the nuances of the chocolate and the extra-virgin olive oil. I used a dark 65% chocolate, and the unsweetened cocoa powder with the ½ cup of confectioners’ sugar, so my version was very dark chocolate but you should use your favorite chocolate. Keep in mind that the lower the percentage of cacao, the sweeter the chocolate.

The one note is that the olive oil heats up very quickly and if you don’t watch it, you could alter the flavor of both the olive oil and the chocolate. You don’t want the oil to get so hot that it “frys” the chocolate. For that reason, I warm the oil just enough to melt the chocolate and then turn the heat off. I stir the chocolate until melted—it doesn’t take long—and then add the sifted cocoa powder and sugar.

As a lover of fruity olive oil, I really enjoyed the savory-sweet dark chocolate notes and knew that I needed to make it again with a healthy shot of bourbon added to it.

When I made it a second time, I added a tablespoon of 2XO French Oak Bourbon once the cocoa and sugar were whisked in until smooth and the pot was off the burner. To me, this small addition of excellent bourbon made the flavors really blossom. It didn’t taste boozy at all, just richer with a deeper more complex flavor. If you want it to taste boozy, by all means, add more. It might make it a bit softer, but you could spoon it on top of ice cream or ricotta cheese as a fun dessert.

The added benefit of the bourbon is that when you stir it into the warm chocolate, it naturally cools the mixture down and you don’t have to wait to put it in your glass jar.

Deb says that the spread is good at room temperature and she is right. I’m that person who keeps peanut butter in the refrigerator and I keep my Chocolate Olive Oil Spread in the fridge as well. That means that you must take it out about 15 minutes before you want to use it, or spread it on warm toast and it will warm up quickly.

As a matter of coincidence, after I made the spread and planned to write about it, I saw that David and Deb made the spread together in David’s Paris kitchen and you can watch the video here.

For a quick mid-day pick-me-up, I like to spread it on British Biscuits, either Burton’s Rich Tea or Mcvities Digestives. And you can’t be blamed if you just eat it from the jar with a spoon! It is also excellent on a piece of toasted sourdough bread for a more substantial snack or an indulgent breakfast. And, if you are a lover of peanut butter, try it in place of jelly on your next peanut butter sandwich.