Spiced Chocolate and Orange Roasted Carrots

Preheat your oven to 425°F. Peel the carrots and halve them lengthwise if thick — you want all pieces roughly the same thickness for even caramelization.

Whisk together the cumin, cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, and salt in a small bowl.

Toss the carrots with 2 tablespoons olive oil, the spice rub, and 1 teaspoon honey until evenly coated. Spread on a lined baking sheet in a single layer.

Roast for 25-30 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the edges are caramelized and a knife slides through with just a whisper of resistance. The honey in the rub should be creating dark, sticky spots — that's the point.

While the carrots roast, warm 1 tablespoon honey with the cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk until smooth and glossy.

Zest the entire orange directly into the chocolate mixture. Add 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice and stir until combined. The glaze should be pourable but not thin.

When the carrots come out of the oven, spoon the chocolate-orange glaze over them generously. Use 3/4 of it now, reserve the rest for the plate.

Let them rest for 2 minutes — just long enough for the glaze to set slightly. Finish with a pinch of flaky salt and a final curl of orange zest.