Olive oil cookies

For some reason or another, I had the idea to make cookies with olive oil in them for the first time this weekend.  I believe I was first introduced to the idea from the Food Network show “Ham on the Street.”  (A show I have watched twice in my entire life.)  I’ve been intrigued by the idea ever since and this past weekend, I decided to give it a try.  I looked at his recipe for olive oil cookies but I decided not to make it because they just looked so darn ugly.  Really, the picture at the link to the reicpe shows misshapen and unevenly cooked cookies.  I couldn’t bring myself to make them. 

So I did some additional searching and found this recipe:

Minted Citrus Tea Cookies, from the North American Olive Oil Association

1 2/3 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime peel
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint OR 1 tablespoon finely chopped
rosemary leaves

1/4 cup Extra Light Olive Oil
1 egg

Sugar

Mix flour, baking powder and salt in small mixing bowl; set aside.
Cream butter, granulated sugar and confectioners’ sugar, lemon and
lime peels and mint in large mixing bowl. Blend in olive oil and eggs.
Stir in flour mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. Preheat
oven to 350ºF.

Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased
baking sheet. Dip tops in sugar; place on baking sheet, sugared side
up. Flatten to 1/8-inch thickness with fork or bottom of drinking
glass dipped in granulated sugar. Bake 7 to 11 minutes, or until
cookies appear set in center. Carefully remove cookies from pan
immediately. Cool on wire rack.

About 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Notice here that this is not a straight-up olive oil cookie recipe.  In fact, there is slightly more butter in it than olive oil.  Otherwise, this is a pretty simple cookie recipe.  The results were interesting.  The cookies had a wonderful citrusy mint flavor (I used fresh spearmint) and had a nice fruity flavor from the olive oil.  But, for my money, they were too soft and fragile.  They sort of crumble in your hand while you’re eating them.  The texture is like a shortbread cookie but without the crunch.  Sandy would probably be the right term.