Dan Lepard: Chocolate Cookie Ice-Cream Sandwich

Other B was coming for dinner so lots of pasta and then lots of chocolate had to be the evening's menu. (L was coming too, but she has less rigid dietary wishes). A sudden desire for ice-cream sandwiches took me to Dan Lepard's dark chocolate chunk cookies. 

He of course uses his own ice-cream. But I am ice-cream machine-less (one of the few essential gadgets missing from my kitchen), and so bought in had to do. 

The cookies are soft and chewy. Other B gave them his biggest compliment, saying they were better than Sainsbury's. Flattered. With a generous scoop of ice-cream in the middle conversation went quiet until we were all defeated. The intense chocolate content of the cookies had gone to our heads.

Recipe can be found here, hidden away in the variations section at the bottom!

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What Katie Ate: Easy Chocolate Cake

I rarely make chocolate centred puddings/cakes. I guess it's because I spend most my time kidding myself that if it has a slightly fruity hint, a sprinkle of wholemeal here, a few nuts and raisins there, then it's totally okay to eat for breakfast, to have more than one piece in a day, to nibble on when hungry in the middle of the night.

B got the option of rhubarb tart or chocolate cake on Saturday night. In the post-run energy-craving haze, he went for chocolate cake, lusting after all the calories he could lay his hands on.

Katie Quinn Davies' book 'What Katie Ate' is full of stunning photography, tables covered with food I want to dive into but leave the table as beautiful and trim as she is. Every time I reach for another slice of her easy chocolate cake, I convince myself that this must be possible.

She's right, this chocolate cake is easy, but it's not cheating. With an alcoholic taint, full of dark chocolate, and served with a drizzle of double cream, it is a fantastically grown up, sophisticated take on a simple chocolate cake. Served with a few summer berries it would be the perfect dinner party ending, but it's also rather delicious as it is, with a cup of strong black coffee on the side.

The recipe can be found here, but I really recommend her book for all of you food photography lovers out there. 

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5 Things

A grey, rainy week - 5 little things that have kept me positive the last few days:

1. Being on featured on the lovely That Adventurer's blog as her Foto Friday today. (Thank you Hannah!)

2. The Great British Sport Relief Bake Off. So glad to have the bake off back on TV, even if it is only temporarily.

3. Porcini risotto for a weeknight supper with friends

4. Accidentally leaving the radiator on at home all day so that when we got back, the flat had, for the first time in its life, turned into a sauna

5. A much needed catch up with C at Dirty Martini

Hope you've all had some happy moments this week.

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