Mini dark chocolate moelleux (lava cakes)

This recipe is a real winner. It’s one of the easiest recipes in my repertoire yet the results seem so fancy. Lava cake seems like one of those desserts that we can only enjoy in a restaurant, somehow just too complicated to try and make at home. A rare indulgence. I’ll admit, these are so rich and fabulous that it’s probably a good thing that they remain a rare indulgence, but making them at home should no longer be a roadblock.

Crispy, chewy oat bran and dark chocolate sandwich cookies

Oh my god, guys. These cookies are really something else. I made them twice in the span of 2 or 3 days because I couldn’t get enough. The original recipe is called Brussels cookies, and was found via Food52. I can admit to not having a clue what Brussels cookies are, but when I came across the recipe I instantly thought of those amazing chewy, crunchy, chocolatey Swedish cookies that they sell at Ikea for a small fortune (compared to everything else they sell!). Do you know what I’m talking about? Whether you have something to compare these to or not, I promise you will be blown away. They pair a crispy, chewy and almost caramely tasting thin cookie with everyone’s favorite: dark chocolate ganache. I can’t even describe the awesomeness of these fresh out of the oven and warm, with the ganache still liquid and squirting out the sides…

Brownie whoopies with salted caramel buttercream

I had company coming over a few weeks ago. Guests that were clearly expecting one thing and one thing only: my peanut butter and chocolate chunk cookies. These French guests were completely and utterly won over by the salty sweet treats the first time they tried them and had been requesting them ever since. For this particular visit, no request was made, as it went without saying that there would be cookies. I, on the other hand, was craving caramel and decided to go out on a limb and try something completely new. My gamble paid off and these whoopies were a big hit, although they’ll never replace those cookies that I made again recently in order to impress my temporary colleagues during a kitchen internship. Mission accomplished.

Peanut butter, dark chocolate and walnut fudge

I remember growing up and the anticipation of Grandma’s fudge on Christmas day. As with her famous turtles, fudge was a once-a-year kind of dessert, which lead me to believe that it was probably one of those super complicated recipes where I’d have to slave over the stove all day long with a candy thermometer trying my best not to burn everything. I couldn’t have been further from the truth.

Dark chocolate mint ice cream

This is adult ice cream, my friends. It’s full of rich dark chocolate, tons of cocoa powder and a little bit of mint liqueur just to make sure you’re all paying attention. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over my adult years, it’s that booze makes everything better. Case in point: my beer-braised Mexican pulled pork, this delicious chocolate stout cake with pear cider frosting, or this Nutella and rum cake. Something about the addition of alcohol just seems to bring out the best in these dishes, adding subtle layers of flavor, and I’m not one to argue with that.