Grab a fork and settle in, because we are CELEBRATING all sorts of things with a little chocolate tiramisu today.

First off, it’s my FIVE YEAR BLOG ANNIVERSARY. Yep, five years. It blows my mind in every possible way that this site has existed for that long. Together, we’ve made ____ recipes, welcomed two new babies, built a house, had a couple website refreshers, and shared wayyyy too much personal information. If you’ve stuck around with me since the beginning (Hi, Mom), thank you. Your support and emails and kindness have meant the world to me. To have a job that feels more like a hobby is such a blessing, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Although a lot has changed since day one of this site, my love of food and writing remains the same, and I’m thrilled to keep on keeping on here. Which brings me to celebratory item number two:

I WROTE A BOOK. A real life book (!!!!) It’s been a long road, so I wanted to share a little about the process.

I started this blog in 2016 in hopes of becoming a cookbook author. At the time, I was following other bloggers who had been around a while and were finally landing cookbook deals of their own. I wanted in! So after lots of nervous back-and-forth with my husband, friends, and mother (Hi again, Mom!), I decided to dive in and start this site with the end-goal of writing a book.

Less than two years later, I had established a relationship with a publishing company and was writing a cookbook proposal with one of their senior editors. This was it! My dreams were coming true! We worked hard for months, but the day before my proposal was to be approved for contract, the publishing company was bought out by a giant media company. Immediately, all projects not under contract were suspended, and after another 6 months of back and forth, they were completely dissolved. I was crushed. It had been over a year of time and work and vulnerability with that company, and I was so disappointed to start over.

My editor for the project was incredibly kind, and at her last day on the job, she connected me with a book agent out of New York. After some conversation and brainstorming, we began working together to iron out the existing proposal. We got a few nibbles from a couple of publishing companies, but ultimately, the project fell flat. By now, it’s January of 2020. It had been two years of proposal writing with no signs of success on the horizon, and here we were, back at square one.

Thank goodness we didn’t give up. Over the next couple of months, I wrote a new cookbook proposal from scratch, and the day after I submitted it to my agent, I began writing a second proposal. This one was different: a 365-day devotional for women. The Word document on my computer basically filled itself with 56 pages of stories and scripture and thoughts and questions, and less than a month later, it was ready to submit to my agent. We decided to move forward with the devotional, and within no time, I was negotiating offers from multiple publishers. Ultimately, my little project found a home at HarperOne, an imprint of Harper Collins, and in July, I dove head first into writing my very first book. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing more about the project, but for now, I’ll end with this:

Don’t give up.
Take a chance on your ambitions.
Work hard.
Ignore the pessimists and self-doubt that tell you you’ll never reach the desires in your heart, and if there’s something in there worth going after, do it. When I take inventory of the most beautiful and life-giving things in my story, I’m reminded that absolutely none of it happened overnight, and so much of the deferred hope, perseverance, and effort that I experienced allows me to treasure those gifts for what they are. A closed door or setback in your story doesn’t mean the end of your story, and I really believe that when we push through the barriers and unbelief, we often find breakthrough and joy on the other side.

I’m planning to share more about the book next week, but for now, thank you for your love and support. You guys are the best little band of chocolate and sugar lovers, and I couldn’t be more grateful to call you friends! Now, let’s get to this chocolate tiramisu.

I’ve never actually had chocolate tiramisu until I prepared this particular recipe, and truly, I’m wondering why it’s not made more frequently. I mean, we all love classic tiramisu, right? This is no different, just a little extra chocolate. Here, a chocolate ganache, mascarpone, and whipped cream come together to make an espresso-scented treat that is altogether rich and creamy and comforting. The tall slices make for an elegant dessert that requires very little time and effort. If you’re looking for a simple yet impressive make-ahead dessert, I hope you’ll take a chance on this chocolate tiramisu. Truly, it’s delightful.

There’s another delicious recipe and more on the book coming next week. In the meantime, if you get an opportunity to make this chocolate tiramisu, tell me about it! Happy Saturday to you and HAPPY BAKING!

If you like this chocolate tiramisu, you should try:

Classic Tiramisu
Tiramisu Cream Puffs
Tiramisu Cake
Kentucky Coffee
Toffee Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies

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