Naive Night In #1: book clubs & coffee tables
or, do good to feel good.
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Get cosy, reader…
I’m heading to Paris next month for my birthday which means I’ll turn 26 in the city of love (or more specifically, the land of Disney). Safe to say there’s something quite lovely about embracing the dual sides of my personality - the somewhat sophisticated adult me who’ll be frequenting vegan sushi restaurants and cocktail bars, and the can-quote-any-kids-film inner child whose only agenda is how many times she can go on the Ratatouille ride.
I’m treating the upcoming trip as an excuse to organise my life. Brows = waxed, coat = dry cleaned, shit = (sort of) together. There’s a price to pay for pampering, but it does feel good to invest in myself. Like this outward show of self care is helping me feel better on the inside too. Who’d have thought it? (see: everyone).
Below, you’ll find:
Reading recommendations (a Naive book club)
Coffee tables of a different kind
… and the cookie recipe I’ve baked over 30 times this month
Reading
A couple of weeks ago, I put out a chat APB (which you can join here, if you like…) asking what everyone’s reading. And you guys did not disappoint.
I’ve been dipping in and out of Butter by Asako Yuzuki since January. It’s partly my fault for letting social media ruin my life again, sacrificing page turning for brain rotting, but honestly I’ve just not been drawn in. When the book’s good, it’s really really good. Like the descriptions of food or the attention paid to even the tiniest details. But the long chapters and the sometimes clunky translation can make it feel like a little bit of a slog. I’ve been told to stick with it, which I will - good things come to those who wait so I’ll have a full review on this one for you soon.
There are so many more recommendations from better readers than I in the chat, so check out the thread if you get a chance!
Wishing for
Maybe it’s the aforementioned trip to Paris or my apparent obsession with baked goods, but I’ve been moodboarding a lot of coffee tables. I’m not talking about the furniture here. It’s the beautiful spreads of coffee and pastries and drinks and books bathed in sunshine and sophistication. I’ve even started planning outfits to match my favourites (which I suppose means I’m cosplaying as a table…).
Eating
I’ve baked over thirty of these cookies this month and they never miss (I told you I’m in my patisserie era). People have asked me for the recipe and I have refused to acquiesce - until today. Enjoy.
Ingredients
The essentials: 225g unsalted butter, 200g light brown sugar, 100g caster sugar, 2 medium eggs, 360g self-raising flour, 1 tsp cornflour, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, pinch of salt.
The fillings: variety 1 (300g chopped milk chocolate, 100g chopped hazelnuts & a sprinkling of sea salt to top), variety 2 (300g white chocolate & 2 tbsp white miso paste), variety 3 (300g white chocolate & 1 tbsp matcha powder).
Note: any fillings you put in will be delicious, these are just my three favourites.
Method
Preheat your oven to 170℃ (if fan-assisted, if not set it to 190℃, gas mark 6 or 375℉). Mix the butter and sugar until fully combined, pale, light and fluffy. Mix one egg at a time into the mixture. Add the flour, cornflour, salt and bicarbonate of soda and mix until just combined. Then add in your fillings and mix again. Portion the mixture out into 12 even balls and put in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, or overnight. Remove and cook on a parchment paper-lined baking tray for 10 minutes, then turn the tray around and bake for another 4 minutes until the edges are crusty and golden and the tops are starting to turn too. Allow to cool and firm up for at least 10 minutes. Then wait patiently to taste (or eat while still warm if you have no willpower like me…)
Top tips for success
For the best bake, freeze your cookies for at least 24 hours - they can last for ages in the freezer which is perfect (/dangerous) because you can pop one in the oven whenever you like.
A naive take on a tried and true format
and a shoutout to the writers who inspired this writer:
’s monthly reviews on , Vibe checks on , The Paris Edit by , and the iconic Sunday Scrolls 🗞️ onIf you’ve made it this far, thank you so much! This is a new style for me and I hope you liked reading it as much as I liked writing it. Until next time (spoiler: with many, many Paris recommendations), take care and be gentle with yourself.
~ Cesca