I really like the chocolate sorbet by Double Rainbow ice cream (a San Francisco company, by the way), but as I was hovering over the freezer case at Trader Joe’s, I thought to myself–I can make this at home. I had a chocolate sorbet recipe that came with my ice cream machine that I liked, but it was only good, not great, so I went hunting for a new one. And then I came across this one in David Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop. It uses both chopped chocolate and cocoa …

While the ingredients for this babycake are relatively simple, the 9 month prep. time can require significant advanced planning. Do not be surprised if it takes 20+ hours for the cake to release from the oven, especially if you have never made this recipe before. Be assured, it will be well worth the effort in the end.

A pizza inspired by a lunch at the Cheese Board Collective in Berkeley. The figs and blue cheese make a lovely combination.