This is a wonderfully rich and luscious creation. It’s very easy to make too, as it needs no baking other than a few minutes for the base. I’m calling it a “round” because it’s a cross between a cake and a tart. (Neither “Cart” nor “Tarke” appealed to me as combination names.)

Makes: 12 – 15 pieces

Time: 20 minutes + at least 2 hours chilling

Level: Incredibly easy

Equipment: 1 x 23cm/9” round, loose bottomed tin. (See below for a later 20cm/8” version)

Biscuit base Ingredients

200g – 225g Crushed biscuits
25g Oatmeal or Oat bran
75g Butter

Main ingredients

225g unsalted butter, or Stork or similar or a mixture
350g dark or milk chocolate (or a mixture), broken into small pieces
50g golden syrup
125g dried fruit
125g nuts, chopped
50g broken biscuits (Can be omitted if you feel the base is sufficiently biscuity)
100g chocolate chips
60g ground almonds
100g other “extras” (e.g. glace cherries, apricots, mini-marshmallows, dates )
Some icing sugar to sprinkle (optional)

Method

1. Lightly grease the tin and line the base with baking parchment.

2. For the base, turn the oven on to fan 160C. Melt the butter, crush the biscuits and mix with the oatmeal. Pour the melted butter onto the dry mixture and mix well. Press into prepared tin. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes. Set aside.

3. In a large saucepan, melt the butter, chocolate and golden syrup over a low/medium heat, stirring occasionally, then remove from the heat.

4. While the chocolate mixture is melting, weigh out all the dry ingredients* and mix them well together in a very large bowl. (*It all needs to be in small pieces)

5. Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the dry mixture and stir well until everything is coated in chocolate. Tip the mixture into the tin and spread it out evenly. Use the back of a spoon or a spatula to flatten the surface. Leave it until cool* then cover with cling film and place it level in the fridge. Leave for at least 2 hours to cool and solidify. And that’s it – all done and ready to be devoured. (* If you cover it while still warm there will be condensation.)

20cm/8” version with a few small “tweeks” made for a recent Macmillan coffee morning

Biscuit base Ingredients

180g – 200g Crushed biscuits
20g Oatmeal
70g Butter

Main ingredients

180g unsalted butter, or Stork or similar or a mixture
275g dark or milk chocolate (or a mixture), broken into small pieces
40g golden syrup
1 tsp coffee powder (optional)
200g – 250g combination from: dried fruit, glace cherries, chopped dried apricots, mini-marshmallows, nuts etcetera
½ tsp salt
75g chocolate chips
45g ground almonds
Some icing sugar to sprinkle (optional)

The method is virtually the same as above, but if using coffee powder (to enhance the “chocolateness”) stir it into the melted chocolate mixture so that it fully dissolves.)