Chocolate Cold Cake

• mixed dried fruit1 mugful cup

  (about 225g)

• brandy↗½ mugful cup

  or juice (about 110ml)

• dark chocolate↗300g g

  (70% cocoa solids)

• butter↗½ pack

  (about 125g, salted or unsalted), plus extra for the tin

• golden syrup↗3 tbsp tbsp
• Digestive biscuits13

  (about 200g)

• roasted almond flakes↗100g pack g

  or roasted hazelnuts, chopped (see tip, below)

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Place the dried fruit in a small bowl and pour enough brandy or juice to cover them. Heat in the microwave for 2 minutes until steam appears, then set aside.

2. 2

   A mess-free way to cut chocolate – break it (still in its wrapper) on the work surface, then unwrap onto foil and snap (still in foil) into small pieces with your fingers. Transfer the chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl. Add butter and golden syrup, cover the bowl with film and heat in the microwave for 2 minutes until melted. Set aside.

3. 3

   Meanwhile line a 20 cm square tin with parchment paper, using a little butter to stick it. (You can also use foil, but it’s harder to remove later, or film if you don’t mind wrinkles on the bottom of the cake.)

4. 4

   Take a third, large bowl. Break the biscuits with your fingers in it. Add the nuts, soaked fruit and the liquid they were soaked in, then mix. Pour the melted chocolate into the bowl with the biscuits, using a spatula or spoon to scrape the last chocolate crumbs. Mix until everything is coated with chocolate.

5. 5

   Check the ingredient list to ensure everything is present (it’s easy to miss something in this recipe), then pour the chocolate mixture into the tin, pressing it well into the corners and smoothing the top. Place in the refrigerator (no cover needed) for 4 hours or overnight until set. To serve, remove from the tin, lift off the parchment and cut into 16 squares (any crumbs that fall off are tasty chef’s samples). Store for up to 1 week in an airtight container in the fridge. It can be frozen for up to 1 month.