Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

 

I spent the latter part of July and all of August in Europe for some summer holidays and work.  While I absolutely loved my time abroad and getting the chance to (re)connect with dear friends and work colleagues the one thing I really missed was being able to bake.  Since I was going to be away for such a long period of time I had every intention of baking in Europe, and even packed measuring cups, spoons and a kitchen scale in my checked luggage.  Unfortunately the gods were against me and I became yet another statistic in the luggage drama that epitomized summer 2022 travels when my bag went missing for three weeks.  [I'm sure you've seen the images of a sea of lost bags and suitcases at the European airports.]  

 

 

As soon as I got back home to San Francisco my itch to bake was in major overdrive.  When I saw the recipe for this Chocolate Olive Oil Cake on Half Baked Harvest's Instagram Stories I knew it was going to be my first bake.  Never mind that I was in the middle of some home renovations and my house was in disarray.  Baking will always be a priority!

I'm a big fan of olive oil cake but I'd never seen or even heard of a chocolate version.  Why didn't I think of that?  The real clincher was that the recipe for the batter and frosting didn't require a mixer and used natural sweeteners like maple syrup and honey.  

 

Having just polished off a piece I can honestly say this cake is going to be on regular rotation and added to my baking repertoire.  Yes, it's THAT good.  The cake is tender and full of intense chocolate flavor while the frosting is creamy, chocolate-y and not too sweet.  Do yourself a favor and make this chocolate olive oil cake asap.

 

Bacon & Maple Syrup Scones

Sometimes you go to a restaurant and there's one item on the menu that really stands out and forever sticks in your mind.  When I went to Frenchie Covent Garden this past July that thing turned out to be their snack of Bacon Scones with Maple Syrup.  

 

One bite and I was a complete goner.  Salty, sweet, smoky and savory....what more could I ask for?  They were so good, in fact, that I not only had them as my starter but later on as my dessert!  Don't get me wrong, the entire meal and service at Frenchie was fantastic, but one month on and I am still dreaming about those amazing scones.    

Lucky for me the recipe for their signature dish was readily available on the internet.   The ingredients are easy to gather and the dough comes together super quick.  Try and use the best maple syrup you can find for this recipe.  I finished off the glazed scones with a light sprinkling of smoked Maldon sea salt to further enhance the smoky flavor.    

 

While the restaurant's version will always taste best in my mind, I think these homemade beauties are a pretty good substitute - and I don't need to travel 5,000 miles to get them!