of raves and craves

you take me in
no questions asked
you strip away the ugliness
that surrounds me

and sweet, sweet
sweet surrender
is all that I have to give

- Sweet Surrender, Sarah McLachlan

If there is one thing I could lose my life over, if there is one thing I could live the rest of my days on, if there is only one thing I could wake up to every morning, I would gladly find myself in a utopian brown-and-purple world, singing to the Cadbury tunes of ”Wouldn’t it be nice”. The sweetest surrender, I assure you.

Which was why it came as no suprise that when SHF #32 asked for The One craved dessert, I knew I had to mark my virginal entry into the event with a chocolate-dripped apron. Pure, simple, unadorned, yet oh-so-sinful chocolate.

As mentioned in the previous entry, the Chocolate Monster residing in me went on a hiatus for a much-missed significant period, paving the way instead for fruit bakes. And so, when the sister suggested I baked yesterday, the ~~sugar~~ chocolate-low yours truly immediately eyed the chunky blocks of dark couverture chocolate lying dormant in the cupboard, missing my touch. Before I could even begin to think of satisfying my chocolate craving (trust me, this system had been clean of chocolate for way too long), the (6-month pregnant) sister shouted for a moist chocolate cake.

Thing is, my family is not much of a chocolate-loving household, and there are only a few with a sweet tooth, so the idea of baking a whole chocolate cake seemed abit too daunting at first thought. Who would finish it up, I asked. And in an almost Looney-Tunes-flashing-lightbulb-the-top-of-the-head way, the two chocoholics simply placed their cravings before any other concerns.

And with that, I ended with this. A true happy pill for any chocolate craving. The surface crackles ever so slightly to deceive you into underestimating his charm. But with the very first bite, an intense deep chocolate aftertaste lingers in your repository, like a shot to the head. This really ought to come with a warning “You are entering the Chocoholic Zone. Beware.”, for one small slice is enough to send you endorphins lasting the whole day, I assure you.

Chocolate Cake
(adapted from here)

200g dark chocolate
200g butter
5 large eggs
220g fine sugar
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1. Preheat your oven at 190C.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler.
3. Transfer into a bowl and add the sugar. Mix with a wooden spoon.
4. Let cool a little before adding the eggs, one after the other, stirring well between each.
5. Add the flour.
6. Pour this batter in a square 8″ mould. Bake for 25 to 30 mns. When shaking the cake gently, the middle should still be a little soft.