This World Chocolate Day, explore some unique chocolate recipes like this chocolate zucchini bread. This dessert or baked treat is one of a kind and can be a great conversation starter as this loaf emerges from the oven looking dark, almost brownie-like, with melted chocolate chips visible at the top and a crumb so moist and fudgy that first-time tasters inevitably will ask what is in it. The answer lies in the shredded zucchini, which tends to cause disbelief, then conversion. Baking with zucchini is quite easy and perfect to try on World Chocolate Day, when your goal is to produce the most intensely satisfying chocolate experience ever. Zucchini does not have any pronounced flavour, which is what makes baking with it so delightful. It contributes enough moisture to the chocolate bread, which is released during baking and also into the batter for a crumb that stays soft and tender for days after baking. It’s the same principle that works for a carrot cake and also an apple cake. The cocoa in this chocolate zucchini bread recipe must be natural, unsweetened cocoa powder, not Dutch-process. Natural cocoa (fruity flavour) is acidic and reacts with the baking soda in the recipe to produce lift and structure. Dutch-process cocoa has been treated to neutralise its acidity (with a mellow flavour) and will not react the same way, potentially producing a denser, flatter loaf. The espresso powder also boosts the flavour of the cocoa exponentially without tipping the bread into coffee territory.

This World Chocolate Day, celebrate everything chocolate by trying this no-bake and no-cook bonbon recipe made with just chocolate and ice cream. This recipe is the kind of thing that makes people assume you spent hours in the kitchen, when in fact you spent fifteen minutes of active work and the rest of the time letting your freezer do the rest. You just need to melt chocolate and coat ice cream balls in it to make this dessert, and you can top the dessert with sprinkles, flaky salt, crushed cookies or peppermint. The bonbon is not a new invention, and chocolate-coated confectionery has existed in various forms for centuries across European patisseries, where the French word ‘bonbon’ means ‘good good’, which is used to describe any small sweet, coated or made with chocolate or sugar. The ice cream version also follows the same recipe but needs to be frozen. You get a dessert with a cold and creamy centre enclosed in a firm chocolate shell that provides textural contrast and a delightful sensory satisfaction. So, this World Chocolate Day, pick up your favourite brand of ice cream tub, preferably chocolate or add vanilla to the mix. You can also opt for your favourite ice cream flavour, be it mint, coffee or butterscotch. The ice cream is scooped into balls, frozen solid, so the melted chocolate does not melt it. The chocolate coating needs to be thin and messy is the look to go for, as bonbons are not truffles, which need a polished appearance.

Monsoon calls for cherry recipes, and cherry galette fits right in and is cosy and warm. This dessert looks like it requires far more skill than it actually does, and unlike a traditional pie, a galette skips the pie dish altogether. The dough is rolled into a rough circle, the filling is piled in the centre, and the edges are simply folded up and over, pleating as you go, with the slightly imperfect, free-form shape being the entire point. It does not need any lattice work or any pastry-making skills that an ornate pie demands. The crust here is a classic all-butter pastry, built in a food processor, using cold butter that leads to the flaky, layered texture once baked. You can make the dough, more than you need, and make it two days in advance and freeze it for longer storage. The filling for this cherry galette is simple, using fresh cherries, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract and almond extract. The almond extract is a small addition but makes a noticeable difference, drawing out the cherries' natural depth without tasting distinctly of almond. How to make a cherry galette at home comes down to one key technique – the fold. You have to work around the circle of dough, lift the edge up and over the filling every three to four inches, slightly overlapping each fold as you go. This creates the signature pleated border while leaving the centre of the fruit exposed to heat, which is exactly what allows the cherries to bubble, concentrate, and caramelise at the edges. For best results, use fresh, in-season cherries, which will always give the best flavour.