Page 80 of Friends Don't Kiss

Annabel chuckles and pulls the butter out of the refrigerator. We quickly melt it, then incorporate it delicately so it doesn’t weigh down the flour. As we put the genoise in the oven, Colt says, “That’s it?”

“Now, the fun starts,” I answer him.

“What she said,” Annabel echoes. “Chocolate—”

“Obviously.”

“What else are you thinking?”

“What you got?”

She tilts her head. “Challenge me.”

“Candied ginger?”

“I make my own.”

“Cardamom, star anise, saffron?’

“I said challenge me!”

I smile at that.

“Pink peppercorn? Smoked salt? Cocoa nibs? Black garlic?”

“Y-yes. Yes I do have that.”

Wanting to find her limits, I add, “Black truffles?”

She crosses her arms and smirks. “Had them for breakfast, just ran out.”

“Ha!”

She gives me a high five. “Alright, how we doin’ this?”

Her energy is contagious and makes me want to try everything. “Let’s go a little wild.”

“I like it.”

“On a base of dark chocolate, let’s add Thai basil, a balsamic vinegar reduction to balance the richness of the cocoa, a drop of Chartreuse—”

“Or I have a liquor reduction of the vin d’orange,” Annabel suggests.

“Nice. But what if we served it with the cake, instead of incorporating it in the recipe? The orange and spice chocolate would be magnificent together.”

“You guys are making me salivate,” Colton groans.

“I like that,” Annabel says. “I especially love it when restaurants serve the right wine with the dessert. It’s… it’s bringing the dessert to where it deserves to be.” She takes a notebook and scribbles down what we just decided. “What else?” she asks me.

“Pink peppercorn for spice.”

She adds that to the list and says, “I have tonka bean.” Then looks up at me and wiggles her eyebrows.

Tonka beans aren’t legal in the United States.You little criminal. I beam at her. “Get outta here.”

“You ever used’em?”

“Uh. No ma’am. Only heard of them.”

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