Midnight Mosaic Dessert

# What You Need:

→ Chocolate Base

01 - 7 oz dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped

02 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed

03 - 1 tbsp honey

04 - Pinch of sea salt

→ Mosaic Topping

05 - 4 oz dried figs, stems removed, thinly sliced

06 - 3 oz pitted black olives (preferably oil-cured), thinly sliced

07 - 1.75 oz roasted hazelnuts, chopped

08 - 1 oz cocoa nibs

→ Garnish (optional)

09 - Flaky sea salt

10 - Edible gold leaf or dried rose petals

# Directions:

01 - Line an 8x8 inch square baking tin with parchment paper, letting excess hang over edges for easy removal.

02 - In a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, melt dark chocolate and butter together, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat; stir in honey and a pinch of sea salt.

03 - Transfer melted chocolate mixture into prepared tin and spread evenly with a spatula.

04 - Distribute sliced figs, black olives, chopped hazelnuts, and cocoa nibs evenly over chocolate. Press gently to ensure a dense, seamless layer.

05 - Sprinkle flaky sea salt and edible gold leaf or dried rose petals, if desired.

06 - Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until fully firm.

07 - Lift slab from tin using parchment handles. Slice into small squares with a sharp knife and serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -

It looks impossibly sophisticated but takes barely half an hour of actual work.
The flavor is so unexpected and layered that people will keep asking what they're tasting.
You can make it days ahead and it only gets better as the flavors settle.

02 -

If your chocolate breaks into shards instead of setting smoothly, the water under your melting bowl was probably too hot; learn to recognize barely a simmer as an actual requirement, not a suggestion.
Don't skip pressing the toppings into the chocolate—if you scatter them haphazardly, you'll bite into an olive without warning and it'll feel like an accident instead of an adventure.

03 -