Christmas Eve Chocolate Biscuit Cake

Serves 4 

INGREDIENTS: 

100g raisins (and or 100g cranberries optional)

100ml brandy

250g rich tea biscuits

180g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

100g butter

150g maple syrup

100g hazelnuts, chopped

For the chocolate ganache

125g dark chocolate, (70% cocoa solids) chopped

125g double cream

Zest of 1 orange

For the topping – any of the below

Gold edibles leaves

Dried rose petals

30g pistachios or hazelnuts, finely chopped

Candied orange peel, chopped

METHOD

Soak the raisins in the brandy overnight.

Next day line a 20cm cake tin with cling film. Melt the butter, maple syrup and chocolate in a glass bowl suspended over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until smooth and all the ingredients have melted together.

Chop or break up the biscuits into small pieces and then add them to the chocolate mixture, followed by the chopped hazelnuts and soaked raisins. Stir well, making sure that all the ingredients are completely coated with the chocolate mixture. Then spoon the biscuit cake mixture into the prepared cake tin and use the back of a spoon to spread it out evenly. Then use a potato masher to press the mixture down evenly.

Next is the chocolate ganache. Put the broken chocolate into a bowl. Pour the cream into a pan and bring it to a simmer. Pour the warm cream over the chocolate and mix well, stirring all the time until the chocolate has melted and you have a glossy and shiny ganache, then stir in the zest of orange. Pour the chocolate ganache over the biscuit cake. Sprinkle the gold edible leaves, rose petals and pistachios on top.

Place the chocolate biscuit cake in a fridge to cool and set for 2 hours.