The Semi-Sweet Hereafter (29 page)

Danny covered his ears with his hands. “I'm not listening.”

“—with a cherry on top and loads of homemade chocolate jimmies.” I smiled broadly at him. “Did you know you can make your own jimmies? All you need are confectioner's sugar, a little liquid, some flavoring of your choice, and something—”

To bind it with,
I was about to say. But Danny stopped me.

“If I say I'll try it, will you stop describing it?”

“But describing it”
—anticipating it—
“is the best part!”

He shook his head with evident disagreement. But once on the escalator, he grinned up at me. “Don't ever change, Hayden.”

“Who, me?” I feigned surprise. “I won't. Count on it.”

The only trouble was, I was afraid I already had.

If another unlikely murder came up, I'd change even more.

But until then, I owed Danny an ice-cream sundae to remember. “You'll never forget this,” I told him. “Never.”

“Yeah,” he joked. “That's what I'm afraid of.”

I scoffed. “You're not afraid of anything.”

I
was. Now. But I knew how to put that out of my mind.

I'm a world-traveling expert in chocolate, remember? If
I
can't successfully distract myself with myriad destinations and hundreds of pounds of
Theobroma cacao
at my disposal, who can?

So I grabbed Danny's arm and led us both in the direction I wanted to go. For now, at least, I was still in the driver's seat. Even if I couldn't (yet) drive on the left, I was planning to take control—starting with a scrumptious ice-cream sundae, continuing with a phone call check-in to Travis, and ending . . . ?

Well,
that
I didn't know yet, I acknowledged to myself as the people of London raced past. But I
did
know that I couldn't wait to find out.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE STOUT COOKIES

GET READY: Preheat oven to 375°.

 

MAKE COOKIES: In a large bowl, beat butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla extract and egg; beat to combine.

 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. Add dry flour/cocoa mixture to creamy butter/sugar mixture in thirds, alternating with the stout.

 

Fold in the chocolate chips; stir just until combined.

 

SHAPE & BAKE COOKIES: Chill the dough for 15 minutes, then scoop rounded spoonfuls onto greased or parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. (A #20 portion scoop—which holds 3 tablespoons—is handy here.) Flatten cookies slightly. Bake for 10–13 minutes, until just set. Cool and enjoy!

 

 

Guinness works well in this recipe and is widely available across the U.S. Or go for a specialty stout like Triple Chocoholic from Saltaire Brewery in the U.K. Either one will have a roasted malt flavor that will add extra pizazz to your cookies. These are traditional chocolate chip cookies' double-dark older brother—the one who's always getting into trouble!

 

STRAWBERRY-CHOCOLATE ETON MESS

GET READY: Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare a bain-marie by filling a small saucepan with a few inches of water and bringing to a boil; reduce to a very low simmer, then proceed with meringues.

 

MAKE THE CHOCOLATE MERINGUES: In a heatproof stainless-steel bowl, whisk together egg whites and 1 cup sugar. Set over bain-marie, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Whisk frequently until all sugar granules are dissolved.

 

Remove mixture from the heat, then beat on high speed with a whisk attachment or beaters until the meringue is stiff and glossy, about 5 minutes. Sift over the cocoa powder, add the finely chopped chocolate, then gently fold together.

 

Scoop rounded spoonfuls of the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet to make individual meringues. Bake for 8 minutes; rotate baking sheet and bake for an additional 8 minutes, until meringues look puffy and slightly cracked. Cool completely.

 

MAKE THE STRAWBERRIES: In a medium bowl, stir together strawberries and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar. Let macerate for at least 20 minutes, until juicy and delicious.

 

MAKE THE COCOA WHIPPED CREAM: Whip together heavy cream, sugar, cocoa, and vanilla with a mixer until soft peaks form.

 

TO MAKE THE STRAWBERRY-CHOCOLATE ETON MESS: Crumble the cooled meringues into a mixing bowl. Gently fold in the strawberries and cocoa whipped cream, mixing just until barely combined. Divide among 8 serving dishes, garnish with additional sliced strawberries and/or chocolate curls, then enjoy right away!

 

 

Think of this as a British version of strawberry shortcake—with a chocolaty twist! Like Italian tiramisu, this layered dessert full of meringue pieces, whipped cream, and sweet strawberries is more than the sum of its parts. Sure, it's messy—but only in the most delectable way! It's easiest to make with a standing mixer and whisk attachment, but you can use a handheld mixer—just remember you'll need to beat the meringue a bit longer.

 

GOLDIE'S CHOCOLATE STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING CAKE

 

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

GET READY: Preheat oven to 350°. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish, line the bottom with parchment paper, then set aside. In a small saucepan, combine 1¼ cups boiling water with dates; simmer over very low heat for 10 minutes, then set aside.

 

MAKE CAKE: In a large bowl, cream butter with brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then mix in the melted bittersweet chocolate.

 

Sift together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir into the butter/chocolate mixture. Add the dates and their soaking liquid, then stir just until combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, then bake for 50 minutes until the cake feels springy to the touch or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

 

MAKE TOFFEE SAUCE: In a small saucepan, combine golden syrup, brown sugar, butter, cream, and vanilla. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 4–5 minutes, stirring often.

 

SERVE: Serve the cake warm with hot toffee sauce. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an extra-decadent treat!

 

 

This recipe might sound complicated, but it really isn't! Lyle's Golden Syrup has a light caramel flavor and is irreplaceable in this recipe. It's been made by the British company Tate & Lyle's since 1881 and was first called “Goldie,” just like Liam's dog!

 

CHOCOLATE BAKEWELL TART

GET READY: Preheat oven to 350°.

 

MAKE THE BISCUIT BASE: In a medium bowl, combine biscuit crumbs, ¼ cup sugar, salt, and melted butter. Stir to combine, then pour into a 9-inch springform pan and press into an even layer. Bake for 7 minutes, until very lightly crispy. Set aside to cool.

 

Carefully spread the jam in a thin layer over the cooled biscuit base (an offset spatula is handy for this), spreading almost to the sides of the pan—leave an approximate 1-inch border so the jam doesn't bubble over the edge.

 

MAKE THE CHOCOLATE ALMOND FRANGIPANE FILLING: In a medium bowl, beat together ¾ cup butter and ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the almond extract (if using; vanilla extract makes a good substitution). Add the chopped and ground almonds; stir well. Pour mixture into the prepared, jam-filled crust.

 

Dollop the melted chocolate on top, then use the edge of a knife to swirl it lightly into the mixture for a “marbled” effect. Place in the oven and bake for 35–40 minutes, until the almond/chocolate mixture has set but the filling is still slightly wobbly in the center. Cool completely on a wire rack.

 

To serve, slice the tart into individual portions, then plate and enjoy with a dollop of whipped cream and/or additional jam.

 

 

The pièce de résistance of Phoebe's appearance on “telly” can be yours, too! If you can't find digestive biscuits, substitute an equal amount of shortbread cookies, graham crackers, or even animal crackers. Or, for a real chocolate extravaganza, use chocolate wafers. Use any flavor of jam you like (blackcurrant is my fave, but it's hard to find outside the U.K.), such as raspberry, strawberry, or apricot.