The one thing I really miss about life before Sebastian is going out for dinner. Spontaneous, late night dinners. No plans, no reservations, leaving the house at 830 pm and grabbing a seat at the bar (because no one gets a seat at a table in a good restaurant on a Saturday night without a reservation) at one of our favorite places and then eating and drinking until late into the night. Obviously, waking up the next morning with heartburn and a hangover, but I never seem to remember those things.

Since going out to eat was such a big part of our lives before Sebastian, a part that we really miss, we've decided to try and incorporate him into some new food-related memories. Don't get me wrong, we still occasionally go out for dinner by ourselves, but it's much more planned now, and not the same as before because our babysitter is 13 and doesn't drive and always needs a ride home, which means that one of us has to stay sober.

Our new tradition is that every Sunday we go out for brunch - which is the most appropriate time for a toddler. Sebastian is the hungriest between the hours of 10 am - 12 pm. I'm pretty sure this is when he consumes most of his calories. Because he really loves food, we can usually sit down at a restaurant and he will sit in his highchair and eat for a solid 1 - 1 1/2 hours. Just enough time for Brent and I to finish our mimosas (plural).

A few months ago, we walked down to the market and decided to try one of Tom Douglas's restaurants - Seatown Seabar. After sharing 3 meals and a pitcher of mimosas, we decided that our 5000 calorie meal just wasn't complete without ordering something from the dessert menu. So we ordered the chocolate truffle gelato served with a salted caramel Rice Krispie treat. I'm not sure if I was feeling good from the mimosa, but this dessert was basically the best thing that I have ever eaten.

The gelato and Rice Krispie were made at Dahlia Bakery - one of Tom Douglas's bakeries.  After experiencing something that delicious, I was determined to try every dessert related thing they have to offer. Unfortunately, after leaving the restaurant, this enthusiasm quickly diminished when I realized that Dahlia Bakery is located in South Lake Union and we live on Capitol Hill.  Brent takes the car to work and taking an Uber with a car seat is annoying, so I am now determined to bake everything from Dahlia Bakery, which is also perfect for you guys because we can experience it together!

The first recipe I started with is their super chocolatey fudgey truffle cookies which are a cross between a cookie and a brownie - the closest thing on the menu to the chocolate truffle gelato I ordered at Seabar. There is a lot of chocolate involved in making this recipe - melted chocolate and cocoa powder in the batter and chocolate chunks mixed in, but if history has taught me anything, it's that more chocolate is always better. The verdict is that these cookies are so insanely amazing, so chocolatey, so chewy, so delicious, and so dangerous to have in the house. Seriously, I cannot eat them all. Or can I?

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CHEWY CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE COOKIES

recipe adapted slightly from

Dahlia Bakery

makes 30 cookies 

prep time: 30 minutes

cooking time: 60 minutes

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3 tbsp + 1 tsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 lb + 4 oz semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

2 1/4 cups granulated sugar

6 large eggs, room temperature

1 tbsp vanilla

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks

1 tbsp Maldon salt

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

In a double boiler melt the chocolate chips. Let them cool for 5 - 10 minutes.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar  on medium speed until well combined.

Add the eggs one at a time, and continue to mix on medium until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and beat until the batter is pale and creamy - 2 minutes.

Add the melted chocolate and vanilla and mix until combined.

Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and fold in the flour mixture and then the chocolate chunks. Do not overmix.

Using a spoon, measure roughly 1 1/2 ounces of batter for each cookie. Scoop 8 cookies onto a sheet - spaced roughly 2 - 3 inches apart. No need to worry about making the cookies round, as the batter will be very soft and spread out while baking. Sprinkle the tops with Maldon salt.

Place the tray into the oven and bake for 13 minutes, rotating the tray half way. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.

Can be stored in an airtight container for a week, and in the freezer for 3 months.