Into the Shadows Bourbon Chocolate Milkshakes

So this is a secret baby book. I hate secret baby books. HATE. I hate them so much that my review policies caution people against sending them to me.

Except...I loved this secret baby book.

Into the Shadows, the third book in Carolyn Crane's Undercover Associates series, features undercover Associate Thorne, who isn't really an official part of the group. He's a self-contained unit, tasked with taking down a large criminal syndicate and the highly placed government officials shielding it, from the inside. Vengeance for his sister's murder years before is what drives him and he's spent years getting to a place where he can kill the last guy involved in her death. Heroine Nadia is the daughter of Thorne's former boss, who died two years before. While Thorne was working for Nadia's dad the two of them were an item and unbeknownst to Thorne, Nadia got pregnant shortly before they broke up. Fast forward to the present and their son, Benny, is almost two years old.

The major reason I loved this book is Thorne. Thus far, the Associates books have worked well for me largely because of the heroines. And Nadia is terrific. She's fierce, protective and smart. She has her own goals that have nothing to do with the hero. In fact, she never expected to see him again. She was heartbroken when he left, but she has gone on with her life and I loved her for it. But it's tortured, messed up Thorne who made this book for me. He thinks he's a bad guy, a thug and unworthy of love. He doesn't trust anyone. He can't take a compliment. Both he and Nadia think he'd be a terrible father. The only reason he and Nadia ever got together in the first place is that she told him to fuck off. And while Nadia has some of her own demons to slay, it's Thorne's emotional journey toward being able to accept the love and intimacy Nadia offers that made this story so gripping for me.

Previous stories in this series have been quite epic. In general, the protagonists have been saving the world, or at least a bunch of innocents, from certain destruction. Into the Shadows is a much more personal, intimate, family-oriented plot. Thorne's issues stem largely from his dysfunctional childhood. Nadia's wasn't much better. And the two of them have to band together to save both Nadia's mother and their son. The result is a poignant, closely-written, emotional book. Honestly, I had no idea romantic suspense could be this good.

So if you aren't reading the Associates series, you should start, even if you're not that into romantic suspense. Maybe not with this one since you'll have more background on the secondary characters if you read them in order (and the fourth book just came out this week), but yeah. Start today.

The connection between bourbon chocolate milkshakes and Into the Shadows will probably not be apparent to anyone but me. But there are several key scenes involving whiskey and one right at the very end of the book involving some ice cream.

So I'll just say this: what are milkshakes but ice cream that has been melted strategically?

This recipe couldn't be easier. Just put everything in a blender and blend until smooth. The only bit of advice I have is that actually, the quality of the ice cream seems to be more important than the quality of the bourbon. Though I used pretty good bourbon here because I just don't really buy bad bourbon. This isn't the time to go generic on the ice cream though. You want the creamy richness of premium chocolate ice cream. I've found that if I use the cheap stuff it just takes more of it to get the consistency right because it has more air whipped in. So yeah. Häagen-Dazs or your favorite local artisan brand is the way to go.

Oh, and try not to fall over when you drink this much alcohol and sugar through a straw.

Bourbon Chocolate Milkshakes
Makes: 2 16-oz shakes
Difficulty: Easy

4 ounces bourbon
4 ounces chocolate syrup
3 1/2 cups good quality chocolate ice cream

1. Put all the ingredients in a blender. Blend on low speed for 15-30 seconds. Pour into glasses.

Disclosure: I am friendly with Carolyn Crane on Twitter and often receive ARCs from her, but I purchased Into the Shadows myself.

Afternoon Delight Chocolate-Chile Lava Cakes

When I first heard about Anne Calhoun's Afternoon Delight (out tomorrow) on Twitter a few months ago, I was super eager to read it just based on a single phrase: food truck. I've read several of Calhoun's books and she has never disappointed. Add in a heroine with a food truck and a sexy paramedic hero and I was beyond sold.

Tim is a New York City paramedic, drawn to the adrenaline and speed of the job, hardly pausing even to taste the food he wolfs down between calls and definitely not slowing down enough to develop anything like a relationship with anyone. Sarah is a recent transplant to the city and feeling ambivalent about it. She's from San Francisco, which is equally cosmopolitan, but paced differently than New York. Having been born in San Francisco and spent several years shuttling between New York and DC while dating a guy who lived there, I could definitely relate. New York's energy is like nothing else and the city's charms and faults have been thoroughly captured in this book.

While Tim is a New York native, Sarah has moved in order to help her friend start a food truck business with a lunch-focused menu called Symbowl. When Tim and Sarah meet, it's because she has just watched him bolt a hotdog without even tasting it. She and her friend haven't quite gotten the menu right yet so Sarah steps out of the truck to have him taste her latest creation, a spicy sauce for their versatile bean and rice bowls. And boy do things get hot from there. It's also what inspired me to infuse the chocolate lava cake I'm featuring here with chiles, even though the one Sarah makes for Tim in the book is a more traditional take.

Tim and Sarah then embark on a creative erotic adventure full of unconventional sexy games of chastity and denial. Though this isn't a dominance and submission type book, Sarah is confident and bossy, knowing exactly how far and how fast she can push Tim, winning each sexual challenge she issues easily. Tim, not accustomed to being kept so off-balance, tries to win back some of his own, but it's almost too late. In his quest to remain cool and aloof, he nearly loses his chance with Sarah, who it's clear is the best thing to happen to him in forever.

Afternoon Delight is an unusual and interesting read, not just for the food, which I anticipated would be fun for me, but also for the games Sarah and Tim engage in. I read an awful lot of erotic romance and I haven't read anything like this. There's just the right amount of heat and angst and ups and downs to this relationship, making for a very enjoyable read.

Chocolate lava cakes are one of those things that people often see in restaurants and assume would be terribly difficult to make at home. That's not really the case despite the fact that if you follow me on Twitter, you'll know I had a bit of trouble with these last week. Take my word for it though, it was all user error. This is a simple and impressive dessert that will have guests wishing for more than just a single serving.

There are two ways to make chocolate lava cakes (also sometimes called molten chocolate cakes). The first is to underbake the batter. But with undercooked egg involved, it's not really the safest choice. It's also not the most delicious choice. The second way to make these is to use frozen chocolate ganache in the center. The advantage of this option is that you can flavor the centers any way you want, either by infusing the milk, which is what I've done here with chiles and cinnamon, or adding extracts or other flavorings to the ganache. Basically any truffle filling you can imagine can also go in the center of these cakes.

There is really just one tricky spot in the recipe--folding the egg whites and flour into the chocolate mixture. It's very important to do it by hand and not to use a mixer, which will overbeat the batter and deflate the egg whites completely. Since there is no other leavener in this batter, it's important to keep the egg whites fluffy. This is the first time I've tried doing a video, but I've included one below so you can see the folding motion I use to incorporate the egg whites. And you can hear my voice! Which is weird. But there you go.



Finally, despite the fact that in the book, Sarah has Tim take home and reheat the leftover cakes, it's not something that works very well with these. I'd recommend serving them immediately out of the oven after cooling for five minutes. They can't really be made ahead or they will deflate and the ganache centers will become less liquid, eventually soaking into the batter around them.

But it's not a bad price to pay for something so decadent and delicious!

Chocolate-Chile Lava Cakes
Makes: 6 servings
Time: approximately 5 hours (hands on time: 45 minutes)

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 dried arbol chiles (or other dried red chile with Scoville rating of 15,000-30,000) + more for garnish (if desired)
1 cinnamon stick
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon softened butter (for ramekins)

3/4 cup + 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, sifted
1/8 teaspoon salt

3 egg yolks, 4 egg whites, separated
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon white sugar, separated

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar + more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the cream, 2 chiles and cinnamon stick over medium heat until bubbles just form on the surface. Remove from heat, cover and allow to steep for 30 minutes.

2. Once cream is done steeping, strain out chiles, cinnamon stick and any loose chile seeds and heat again until candy thermometer reads 120 degrees. Place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and pour cream over. Allow to sit for 10 minutes, then stir until all chocolate is melted. Refrigerate for 1 hour until ganache solidifies into a scoopable consistency.

3. Prepare a cookie tray covered with aluminum foil. Using a melon baller or small cookie scoop, scoop out 12 ganache balls, approximately 1" to 1 1/4" in diameter. Place on prepared cookie tray, cover tightly with plastic wrap and freeze until solid, approximately 3-4 hours.

4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare six ramekins by thoroughly coating with softened butter. Set the ramekins on a cookie tray. Heat chocolate, coffee powder and water over low heat until chocolate is melted. Whisk to combine and remove from heat to cool slightly.

5. Thoroughly combine flour and salt and sift into a bowl. Set aside. Using a stand mixer or electric beaters, beat the egg yolks until lightened in color. Add 1/2 cup sugar and beat until combined. Add the vanilla extract and whisk together. Pour the chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture and whisk thoroughly. Remove from stand mixer.

6. Using electric beaters, beat egg whites and remaining tablespoon of sugar until stiff peaks form. Adding one-third of the egg whites and one third of the flour to the chocolate and egg yolk mixture, fold gently until combined. Repeat until all flour and all egg whites have been added to the chocolate mixture. Try not to deflate the egg whites as you fold as this is what will provide the lift to the finished cakes.

7. Remove ganache from freezer. Fill the ramekins half full with batter. Add a ganache ball to each ramekin and cover with remaining batter. Ramekins will be fairly full.

8. Bake for 15-17 minutes until the cakes are puffed about half an inch above the surface of the ramekins. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

9. While the cakes cool, make the whipped cream. Combine the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and whip until stiff. Plate the cakes with a dusting of powdered sugar and either scooped or piped whipped cream.

Disclosure: I received Afternoon Delight from NetGalley for review purposes.

The Chocolate Thief Raspberry Tarts

 
When I started Cooking Up Romance a couple of months ago, there were a few books that people kept pointing me toward and saying I absolutely had to read, largely for their sheer volume of food. Laura Florand's Chocolate Series was at the top of that list. And they were totally right. The Chocolate Thief is a tasty romp through the chocolatiers, restaurants and streets of Paris.

Heroine Cade Corey is the successful, capable scion of an old Maryland chocolate-making family. With Hershey just over the border in Pennsylvania, I couldn't help but draw parallels as the beloved American Hershey bar receives very little respect in Europe. But Cade has an idea for bringing Parisian artisan chocolate to the masses--if only she can find a French chocolatier who will cooperate by lending a name and a recipe.

Hero Sylvain Marquis is the best chocolatier in Paris, creating chocolates so exquisite that though she has been around copious amounts of chocolate her whole life, Cade can't stop eating his when she first tastes them. Unfortunately, Sylvain also has a terrible temper and a complete abhorrence for her idea. He makes her cry when she first approaches him, then makes fun of her when they meet again, finally driving her to break into his shop to see if she can find what she wants. Plus, he's nerdy and sexy, which is pretty much my favorite combination of hero traits.

Though at first Cade and Sylvain get along like chocolate and water, he is eventually captivated by her love for chocolate and she is seduced by his knowledge and skill. With chocolate, people. Heads out of the gutter please. Though, it should be said that his skills in other areas aren't at all tepid. In fact, he has mastered the art of seduction by chocolate, a particularly neat twist by Florand.

For any lover of chocolate, or of Paris, this book is an absolute must-read. Even if the characters weren't utterly charming and the plot didn't provide a number of unique twists, they would be worth it for the food alone. I've just gotten the second one and I can't wait to devour it. Also, I'm not sure how long this sale is going on, but right now you can get the Kindle edition of the 4th book in the series, The Chocolate Rose, for free on Amazon!

Early in the story, when Sylvain is still utterly contemptuous of Cade's American-ness, she encounters him in a bakery early one morning. Flustered and determined to try something utterly French, she picks out a raspberry tart for her breakfast, earning the scorn and derision of both Sylvain and the baker. Though, upon reflection, Sylvain decides that she looks pretty cute with her raspberry tart, even if it is a ridiculous breakfast.

The raspberry tart in the book is described as having a golden crust, pale custard and sweet, fresh berries. Sadly for me, I find pastry cream a little bit boring and even though it's peak raspberry season, I didn't find the tart flavorful enough on its own. That said, the book is called The Chocolate Thief. And it's in a series all about chocolate. So I didn't have a hard time giving these a non-traditional twist with a little bit of chocolate.

As for the tart dough, you're going to need a kitchen scale. You've got one, right? If not, they're about $25. Don't be intimidated. I actually find it easier to bake by weight than by volume. It's just much more accurate! This tart dough is the best one I've used: super forgiving, doesn't require refrigeration and no need to use foil, parchment or any kind of pie weights. It's kind of miraculous and therefore worth the purchase of a scale if you don't have one.

Also, I've included a full-scale recipe for the chocolate sauce I used. You'll have TONS left over. Just store it in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap touching the surface. You can microwave it for just a couple seconds a spoonful at a time and drizzle it on crepes, ice cream, waffles, pound cake or just someone you like a lot. Or they can drizzle it on you. I mean, you just made them a freaking raspberry tart.

And as long as we're being decadent, go ahead and have one of these tarts for breakfast. I won't tell if you don't.

Raspberry Tarts with Pastry Cream and Chocolate
adapted from Brave Tart and America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
Makes: 6 four-inch tarts
Time: 3 1/2 hours (1 hour hands on time)

Pastry Cream
2 cups half and half
1/2 cup sugar, separated
pinch salt
5 large egg yolks, room temperature
3 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and chilled
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Tart Dough
3 ounces white sugar
6 ounces unsalted butter (NOT tablespoons--don't mess that up), plus extra for pans
9 ounces flour, sifted
1 generous pinch salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
powdered sugar for rolling

Chocolate Sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
pinch salt
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine

18 ounces fresh raspberries

1. For the pasty cream, bring the half and half, 6 tablespoons of sugar and the salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar together until smooth. Sift in the cornstarch to prevent lumps and whisk until smooth.

3. Reduce heat to medium. Slowly whisk about 1 cup of the simmering half and half mixture into the yolks to temper (for more on tempering, see my creme brulee recipe). The slowly whisk the tempered yolks back into the simmering half and half mixture and return pot to heat. Whisking constantly, return the mixture to a simmer and cook until thickened and a few bubbles burst the surface, about 30 seconds. Off the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla. Transfer to heat proof bowl and cover with a layer of plastic wrap flush to the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours.

4. For the tart crust, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease six 4" tart pans.

5. Cream together the butter, salt and sugar either in a stand mixer or with a pastry blender until combined. Add sifted flour with mixer on lowest speed or mix by hand for two minutes. The mixer will still be pretty crumbly, but don't worry.

6. Knead lightly by hand against the side of the bowl until a smooth dough forms. Scatter powdered sugar over rolling surface. Turn out dough onto surface and roll to 1/8" thickness. Cut into four sections and press into tart pans, pinching off excess and pressing the sides up a little over the top to compensate for any shrinkage during baking. Re-roll scraps and cut into two more sections and press into tart pans. Don't worry if the dough tears. Just piece it back together. It will still be fine. Prick dough all over the surface with a fork (bottom and sides both).

7. Bake until lightly browned, about 14 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes on a rack before removing from pans. Allow to cool completely.

8. For the chocolate sauce, bring the cream, corn syrup, butter and salt to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Off the heat, stir in the chocolate, cover and let stand until the chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Uncover and whisk gently until smooth.

9. Add 1 tablespoon of warm chocolate sauce to the bottom of each tart shell. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the chocolate to set.

10. Add 4 tablespoons of pastry cream to each tart shell.

11. Starting in the middle and working your way out, add three rings of raspberries to each tart shell. Drizzle each tart with warm chocolate. Tarts keep in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Ruby Sea Scallops Three Ways

Ruby by Jeffe Kennedy* is just one of those books that I wish I could dive into and paddle around in for a while. It seems oh-so-appropriate to set a BDSM-flavored erotic romance in the town that has everything to teach the rest of the United States about the meaning of true debauchery. This wickedly hot story is set in New Orleans in the lead-up to Mardi Gras and features an up-tight fashion editor and a kinky chef. This is not the mindless, tawdry gluttony of Las Vegas buffets and strip clubs, but the languid, sultry elegance of the Old South.

The heroine of Ruby, Danielle Sosna, is primed and ready for someone like Bobby. She is wound unbearably tight, skirting the edges of satisfaction in both her professional and personal lives. Her work as an assistant editor for a fashion magazine has brought her to New Orleans, the culinary capital of the United States, and while she's curious about the food, she can't get past the limitations she has imposed on herself with her diet. She orders sauce on the side, changes preparations, and completely guts the vision of the dish she orders. We've all known people like her. I felt sorry for her even as I wanted to shake her.

So does the hero. Bobby Prejean owns the restaurant where she has ordered this sad imitation of a meal. Upon hearing of her order, well, he kind of loses it. Though as the book progresses, it becomes clear that he's got the heart of a marshmallow, he also has a Cajun temper. Romance heroes typically smell like pine trees, fresh grass, cigars, whiskey and MAN. Bobby smells of butter and garlic. If at first I wanted to shake Dani, I wanted to lick Bobby.

When they meet up again by chance later that day, Dani agrees to an evening of pleasure with Bobby, but only if she's willing to play by his rules. The only hard limit she sets is maintaining her anonymity through the use of a pseudonym: Ruby Tuesday. This sets the stage for trip to a kink club, a testing of Dani's sexual boundaries, the ruination of her diet and, eventually, a happy ending that brings both hero and heroine some much needed peace of mind.

There are a couple things I loved about Kennedy's Facets of Passion series, which also includes the edgier Sapphire and the unusual Platinum. First, the characters are sexually kinky because they're sexually kinky. They don't have psychological wounds or mental illnesses that they're trying to heal by beating or being beaten. Second, the Doms in the relationships are not only strict and demanding, they're also nurturing and caring. They behave like real human beings rather than Dominant romance robots. Bobby in particular is heart-breakingly sweet and sensitive despite how controlling and adventurous he is in the bedroom.

I can't recommend these books highly enough. Even if you're normally not attracted to BDSM relationships in romance you might give these a try. They're hot, they're tender and Kennedy makes sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that they're romantic.

It was impossible to pick one spot where food became an important element of this story. Bobby's desire for sexual control is possibly only subsumed by his desire to feed people, particularly the calorie-phobic Danielle. Which brings me to the very best part of Ruby. Sure, the sex is epic-level hot and the characters are adorable together, but what made this book the stand-out of the series was Kennedy's sensual descriptions of Bobby's food. Honestly, I sensed a kindred spirit because the man just cannot stop cooking. It's almost compulsive. Blueberry muffins, truffle omelets and crepes for breakfast; cranberry and brie sandwiches for lunch; steak, scallops, souffles, oysters and who only knows what else for dinner. If you're not hungry by the end of this book, there's something wrong with your soul.

This dish comes from a scene in the middle of the book where Bobby brings Danielle to his restaurant and feeds her several small plates. My version of his scallop dish includes a cilantro-lime crema with a Greek yogurt base, a peppered mango curry with a coconut milk base and a spiced chocolate with a tomato base. If you're cooking for more than four people, just buy more scallops. Unless you're trying to feed 12, there will be plenty of sauce if you resist the temptation to heap sauce on the plate. And you should. My guests thought even half a tablespoon was borderline too much.

While it can be tough to reproduce the variety enabled by a walk-in fridge and a small army of sous chefs at home, these sea scallops are totally doable. For starters, this dish is not nearly as difficult as it looks. If you can operate a blender, you can make these sauces. Though if you've got a lover to impress, this fancy-looking dish should do it. And since the sauces should be made ahead and chilled for a few hours, and it only takes 4 minutes to sear the scallops, it won't even distract you from your other evening's activities for very long.

Plus if you're looking to introduce a little spice to your sex life, mangoes, chiles and chocolate are said to be aphrodisiacs. Just sayin'.

Seared Sea Scallops Three Ways
Makes: 4 servings as an appetizer or small plate
Time: 1 hour

Spiced Cocoa Sauce

4 tsps unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp cinnamon

pinch of mace

1 tbsp brown sugar

3 tbsps tomato sauce

3 tbsps water

1/2 tbsp molasses

2 tsp olive oil

1) In a small bowl combine the cocoa powder, salt, pepper, cumin, cinnamon, mace and brown sugar and whisk to combine. In a different small bowl, combine the tomato sauce, water and molasses.

2) Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat until it is shimmering and fragrant. Add the spice mixture and cook for 1 minute.

3) Add the liquid, scraping up any browned bits from the sides and bottom of the pan. Whisking constantly, simmer for 3 minutes. Remove to small dish and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.

Cilantro Lime Crema

1/4 cup minced cilantro

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp salt

6 tbsp Greek yogurt

1/2 tbsp lime juice

1) Combine all ingredients except lime juice in a blender or small food processor. Pulse until combined, about 10 pulses. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.

2) When ready to serve, whisk in lime juice.

Peppered Mango Curry

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1/4 onion (1/3 cup)

1/4 orange bell pepper, roasted, peeled and chopped

1/2 garlic clove

1/2 tbsp minced ginger

1 tbsp yellow curry powder

1/4 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsps brown sugar

1/2 tbsp cider vinegar

1/2 can full fat coconut milk

1/2 mango, peeled and chopped

1) Heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, approximately 5 minutes.

2) Add bell pepper, garlic and ginger. Cook for an additional minute.

3) Add curry, cumin, cayenne and brown sugar. Cook for an additional minute.

4) Add cider vinegar, coconut milk and mango. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

5) Add sauce to blender and puree until smooth. Chill until cold, at least 1 hour.

Sea Scallops

12 sea scallops

salt and pepper

2 teaspoons oil with high smoke point like grapeseed oil (not olive oil)

Minced cilantro, curry powder and grated dark chocolate for garnish (optional)

1) Plate sauces by adding 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of each sauce to a plate. If desired, add garnishes: a pinch of cilantro, curry and dark chocolate shavings for the appropriate sauce.

2) Thoroughly rinse and dry scallops. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3) Heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.

4) Add scallops to the pan and cook two minutes on each side.

5) Remove to a plate and let cool one minute. Plate scallops over each sauce and serve immediately.

*Jeffe Kennedy did a lovely, lyrical post on her blog a couple of weeks ago while I was testing the recipes for this review. It was also very flattering of my efforts here at Cooking Up Romance. That said, I had already written the review part of this post and you know I only write about the  books I liked, right? So consider this my disclosure.

Mai Tai for Two Chocolate Macadamia Tart

Delphine Dryden is a writer I probably should have discovered a long time ago, but somehow didn't. I mean, she writes for Wonkomance, she's in frequent conversation with a lot of my other favorite writers on Twitter (like Cara McKenna, Ruthie Knox and Charlotte Stein) and, well, she's a nerd. How could it have taken me this long to find her books?

So at some point a couple of weeks ago, I decided to rectify my unfortunate oversight and Read All The Things. Yep, I promptly devoured her entire backlist, especially the very nerdy Science of Temptation BDSM books. In fact, I had to put myself on Kindle restriction the next day just to get stuff done. I was sad when I finished all her books a few days later. Lucky for me, Dryden then released a new book: Mai Tai for Two.

Mai Tai for Two was a total departure from the rest of what I've read by Dryden. Mainly, it's not at all kinky or edgy. The plot premise is of a friends-become-lovers nature and both the Hawaiian setting and the characters' relationship are very sweet. In fact, the sweetness seduced me into thinking that this was a very simple "beach read" kind of book. I breezed through it the morning it appeared, pronounced it good and then moved on.

Then in preparation for this review, I read it a second time. And on second examination, it's not so simple. Alan and Julie, the hero and heroine, have a wonderful back-slapping jovial chemistry as friends and the dialogue is just as clever, nerdy and snappy as in the other books I've read by Dryden. There's a line that references motherfucking turtles that was funny the first time, but took me by surprise when it was just as funny the second time. And the friendly banter carries through the book, even as Alan and Julie start using it as a crutch for the more difficult conversations they have yet to have. It makes for a wonderful counterpoint, where what's happening on the surface is different than what's happening underneath. They're both aware of it, but they haven't learned how to communicate on this new level yet.

Which points to what I loved most about this book: the charming awkwardness. Moving from friends to lovers is really graceless in a way that people who haven't experienced it might discount. And since I married a man who was first my best friend, I know of what I speak. A lot of things that might be hard in a traditional dating scenario are easy, but things that don't matter when you're just friends suddenly take on a grave importance when you're looking at someone in a new light. The best moments in Mai Tai for Two are when we get inside the characters' heads as they sort all of this out. The actual stumbling blocks are different than what I experienced, but Dryden just nails the emotion of it all.

Mai Tai for Two is a good, quick read, but don't let the sweetness fool you. There's more to Alan and Julie than first appears.

Near the end of Mai Tai for Two, the protagonists end up eating chocolate-covered macadamia nuts in bed. Immediately my brain said: chocolate tart with macadamia nut crust! With some kind of coconuty thing. Because Hawaii. Apparently I think in baked goods? 

This tart is not simple. It's not quick. It's not even easy. But it's so worth it, much like how Alan and Julie's relationship develops. The crust is flaky and delicate. The chocolate custard is rich in both taste and texture. The chocolate glaze is pretty and shiny and satiny. And the coconut whipped cream just cuts right through all the chocolate with the perfect hint of island flavor. I recommend saving it for someone you really, really like.

Like yourself. Or your best friend.

Chocolate Macadamia Nut Tart
Adapted from Gourmet Magazine and Bon Appetite Magazine
Serves: 12
Time: About 4 hours (including chilling and baking time)

Crust
1 cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup macadamia nuts (about 1 1/2 ounces), chopped and toasted
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 egg yolks

1. Add macadamia nuts to the food processor and mix until chopped. Remove from food processor and toast in a small saucepan over medium heat on the stovetop, keeping a careful eye out to be sure they don’t burn. Remove from pan and let cool.
2. Combine flour, sugar and salt in processor and mix.
3. Add toasted macadamia nuts.
4. Add butter and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add yolks and process just until moist clumps form.
5. Gather dough into ball; flatten to disk. Wrap in plastic and chill 30 minutes.
6. Preheat oven 375°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom.
7. Roll out dough between sheets of waxed paper to 11-inch round. Peel off top sheet of paper.
8. Transfer crust to prepared pan, pressing dough firmly to fit pan and patching if necessary. Discard paper. Trim edges of crust. Freeze crust 15 minutes.
9. Bake until firm, about 10 minutes.
10. Allow crust to cool on rack at least 30 minutes.

Filling
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate (not more than 65% cacao if marked), chopped
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Bring cream to a boil, then pour over chocolate in a bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Gently stir until smooth.
3. Whisk together eggs, vanilla, and salt in another bowl, then stir into melted chocolate.
4. Pour filling into cooled crust.
5. Bake until filling is set about 3 inches from edge but center is still wobbly, 18 to 22 minutes.
(Center will continue to set as tart cools.) Cool completely in pan on rack, about 1 hour.

Glaze
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 3/4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon warm water

1. Bring cream to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in chocolate until smooth. Stir in corn syrup, then warm water.
2. Pour glaze onto tart, then tilt and rotate tart so glaze coats top evenly. Let stand until glaze is set, about 1 hour.

Whipped cream
Servings: 4
Time: 2 minutes

1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
½ teaspoon coconut extract

1. When ready to serve tart, combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat on medium using hand mixer until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Recipe can be scaled for more than 4 people without additional changes.

Come back next Monday! I'll review Elizabeth Hoyt's Thief of Shadows and present you with scones good enough to encourage you to make bad decisions.