Friday logic: Eating chocolate is like eating a salad

This is how it goes: Chocolate comes from cocoa, which makes it a plant.
So that makes chocolate = salad.

I didn't come up with that, but I'm buying it - it's genius!

And with that gleeful thought, let's dive headlong into chocolate, chocolate, chocolate!

First up: a good ol' chocolate cake.

Plan, simple.
A slice or two for dessert with the family.



There are so many ways you can go with a chocolate cake.
Light and fluffy, dark and decadent.
I like mine moist and earthy, not too heavy.

The Italian Dish, Food 52 and Bon Appetit have great fail-safe recipes, not too fussy, easy eating.

Nigella does a kickbutt Guinness Chocolate Cake that's my go-to, packing flavor and warm fragrance. If you prefer a super dense version that's really more like a torte, Martha Stewart  does it really well (but of course).

For friends or family who are gluten intolerant, Jamie Oliver and A Girl Defloured have you covered.

All these recipes can have their sugar, butter, creams reduced so experiment and find the right proportion for you.

You can stop right there if you're keeping balanced on a lean-eating week, chocolate cake tastes just fine on its own, and you get to sneak in a few more slices. It's all about keeping the intake even.

But if you're buying the whole chocolate = plant spiel and looking for some frosting to be the icing on the cake, check Williams Sonoma's recipe out, it's da bomb and so easy to make.

Now - on to more chocolate matters.

I love giving little packages as gifts. Small desserts are much more tedious, but so darn cute it's totally worth it.

Chocolate Cake Balls are absolutely gorgeous little chocolate gems, "double-chocolated" in a creamy chocolate coating. YUM.

Use your favorite chocolate cake recipe, roll them into smaller balls of fun and dip them in good quality melted dark chocolate.

If you're talking to an all-adult crowd, I strongly recommend turning them into Chocolate Rum Balls - the same way you'd make regular cake balls, but using rum as your binder when you roll them up.

These little bombs are quite indulgent, so just make sure you run a couple more minutes or keep lunch light so you have some caloric space for these sweet babies. It's all about the balance.

That's it for today's episode of Friday logic, I know it all made perfect weekend-sense ;)

Cheers to Father's Day!

Yes I know, not all dads take to alcohol like fish to water. 

Very presumptuous.

But because there are SO many gorgeous desserts with such deliciously boozy yumminess, there's really no good reason not to start your dad/baby daddy on a bit of tipple. 

Father's Day is the perfect time for such initiation ;)

> A hearty Guinness cake

> Bailey's salted mint chocolate pie

> Chocolately rum balls

And for dads who do love their drinks, this is for you.

Cheers to awesome dads all round!

Chocolatey love

Friends-giving or Love-giving, Valentine's is a wonderful time to laugh a little, love a lot, be grateful for the people in your life.

I like celebrating with chocolate. 

The decadent molten darkness is just too good. 

I want to crown it Nectar of Happiness.

Everyone should have a bar, a stash, some slivers - on their person at all times. 

You never know when you need to celebrate.  

And if you should ever have excess chocolate lying around (I don't know why you would, honestly), here are a couple of sweet ideas you can use them in:

DECADENT CHOCOLATE PISTACHIO TORTE

Martha Stewart is a kitchen goddess.

I love the glistening, dripping chocolate ganache in this creation, it looks irresistible and tastes amazing. 

But this torte is not for the faint-hearted. 

It packs a decadent punch, and my version below uses bitter chocolate - be prepared for a bit of bittersweet nosebleed (so worth it)!

You can see the greedy baker that I am at work  -
double-stacked cake layers instead of the skinnier
torte Martha meant it to be!

SALTED BAILEY'S MINT CHOCOLATE PIE

This pie needs a bit of an age clearance, a grown-up's pie if you will ;)

I'm not usually fond of Bailey's - as a drink. 

But its signature milky sweetness works beautifully in desserts, imparting a soft richness that works nicely with my usually (deliberately) under-sweetened cake bases.

This luscious pie recipe is from She Wears Many Hats. 

I've just swopped the Bailey's Caramel for Bailey's Mint in mine below, and you can use a graham base or an oreo base - both are equally scrumptious. 

Add whatever toppings/decor you like after
the pie's set in the fridge for a while and semi-firm,
so they don't sink under Titanic-style.

BOOZY CHOCOLATE RUM BALLS

These little darlings make perfect gifts, and are oh-so-versatile.

You can make these out of cake or brownies, just crumble and roll.

And of course, for that special Valentine's day touch - a good splash of rum. 

Mmm yum...

The alcohol acts as the binder in these balls, and I like to add mix it up with a bit of Bailey's as well. The sweetness balances the slightly edgy taste of the rum, and you get a good ball of happiness at the end. 

Substitute with Grand Marnier or Cointreau - all good.

> How to make cake balls

Pick sprinkles/toppings that contrast well with the dark
chocolate. Sanding sugar sprinkles and white sugar granules
are a no-no - they sink into the chocolate and disappear.

In a tin, lined up in a box, on a tray - these
lil' rum balls are delightful and delicious. 

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE (CHIP) SHORTBREAD

I love making chocolate chip shortbread. 

The kitchen smells heavenly as it bakes. 

The recipe is forgiving (dosen't seize up and sulk if my measurements are a bit off!).

Keeps so well.

And I just love the slight crunchy buttery chocolate bite.

Our weather is harsh on desserts. 

Heat and humidity: bitter bedfellows for cakes, buttercream, fondant, trifles - you name it. 

Shortbread though, holds up beautifully. 

Shortbread doesn't sweat it (yes, literally).

The recipe I use is from one of my baking books Mmm Chocolate, a little hard to transport it here. But this recipe from the Food Network is very similar, and will set you straight.

Chocolate chips with chocolate ganache - what's not to like?

Hope you'll get to try some of these out this Valentine's Day - chocolate is the source of universal happeiness ;)

Oh and if you're enjoying these at home, dig in to Spotify's Valentine's playlists to set the mood.
Extra sweet ;)

Other sweet bakes you might like:
> Red velvet cake
> Sweet, sweet strawberries
> Sugar & spice, all things nice

3 cherries in a row, jackpot!

"My aunt loves the jackpot, I want a jackpot-themed birthday surprise for her!"
And with that, I ventured into my first jackpot cake pops.

There's something for everyone, check out some other birthday themes:

> Coming of age: 10-years young!
> Golf for the boys
> Elmo-lovin 2-year old 
> A mom who loves her dogs

I'm no gambling expert, but I do know my three cherries in a row, and when to jump and holler "JACKPOT!"

I decided we also needed to have the 7s in a row, some money bags and poker chips to set things right. It's just not a proper jackpot-do without these.

After letting the rum cake balls chill for a bit, I set to work bringing lady luck to the table.

The money bags were the most challenging.

I molded them to look like big fat teardrops, in hopes they would look like sacks. Hmm, not quite right. No bag of money is that symmetrical.

I pinched the sides a little, indented some parts.

There, better.

Next were the sack tops - molded individually, laid to dry out and stiffen, before getting fixed to the grey-coated cake pops.

1cm wide fondant circles marked with $$ signs left no doubt these were money bags; dusted with lustre pearl for the extra moolah-shine, and added.

Something was still missing.... Rope!

Rolled-out strings of pale beige fondant went round the top of the sacks.
Finally done.

Yay! One design down.... just oh, 3 more different types to go.
Yes, a little ambitions, I'm realising now.

Ah well, if I could get the toughest one out, the rest aian't gonna stop me.

Fondant add-ons waiting to join the party

Teeny cherries (half the size of a 5-cent coin!),
big on luck - 3 in a row, JACKPOT! 

Keep these poker chips in your pocket
for an extra bit of luck when you hit the casino!

JACKPOT WINNER!

The next time you're feeling in need of a lil' luck, head over for a Petite Pops boost, it could well make you a millionaire!