From One Dark Place to Another

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"Everything went cold, like all the happiness had gone from the world."

I start by quoting Harry Potter. My happy place. But I choose this reflection of depression because it isn't always that the Sun shines for you.

A hypothetical situation has been providing fuel for my writing of late. Not a pleasant one though.
Imagine a scenario where you are trapped. With consent in a way. You have a way out of physical abuse or being used by somebody. But you choose not to end the degradation and humiliation. You choose to let it go on because you want to numb all your senses to other, unrelated problems in your life. You stick to someone who neither cares, nor appreciates your situation at all. You are just pleasure on two legs. Something to give attention to for a few moments, as long as the enjoyment lasts. And then aloofness and dehumanizing you with actions. But you allow this. You throw up whenever you are alone. But you let it happen. Therefore consent. Therefore it's okay.

What does this have to do with dessert huh? Well I have one that perfectly describes the self-destructive desperation.
BITTER CHOCOLATE MUDCAKE WITH SCOTCH AND CIGAR GANACHE

Ingredient

FOR MUDCAKE
Dark chocolate   200g
Egg yolks             2 nos.
Castor sugar       60g
Fresh cream       80ml
Butter                  100g
Cocoa powder    30g

FOR GANACHE
Dark chocolate    100g
Milk                       60ml
Cigar tobacco       5g
Scotch whiskey    60ml

Method

  • For the mudcake, melt butter and dark chocolate together.
  • Form a sabayon by cooking egg yolk and sugar over a double boiler.
  • Whisk in cream.
  • Mix both mixtures together without incorporating air.
  • Fold in cocoa powder.
  • Pour into moulds and bake at 150*C for 45 minutes till knife comes out clean.
  • For the ganache boil the tobacco in milk till flavour infused.
  • Strain out tobacco and pour milk into chopped chocolate.
  • Mix well till chocolate melts.
  • When cool, mix in the whiskey.
  • Pour on top of the mudcake and serve.


This dessert will be as dense and airless as claustrophobic and trapped you feel. The initial sweetness on the tongue is followed by the bitterness in the throat. The whiskey gives you a hit but burns your insides. And finally the tobacco is a reflection of a bad habit you want to lose so bad but you cannot help going back to.
The dessert is an acquired taste for sure, coming from a dark place and is sure to make you almost break. Enjoy it if you have the stomach for it.


 "And the angels sang a whiskey lullaby.."

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