DARK CHOCO RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease a 20cm/8in cake tin with a little butter and line the bottom of the tin with a disc of baking parchment.
• Blend the beetroot in a food processor to a rough purée.
• Melt the chocolate in a bowl suspended over a pan of hot water (do not allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water), then pour in the hot coffee.
• Stir in the butter in small pieces and leave to soften. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa together in a bowl and set aside.
• Separate the eggs. Whisk the yolks in a bowl until frothy. Stir the eggs into the chocolate and butter mixture, then fold in the beetroot.
• Whisk the egg whites until still peaks form when the whisk is removed. Fold in the sugar.
• Fold the sugar and egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the flour and cocoa mixture.
• Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
• Allow to cool in the tin, then serve with crème fraîche or double cream.

Steps:

• Use cling film to line a 20cm (8in) shallow, square-shaped tin. Leave extra cling film hanging over the sides.
• Bash the biscuits into pieces using a rolling pin. (Put them in a plastic bag first so they don't go everywhere!)
• Melt chocolate, butter and golden syrup in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally.
• Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the broken biscuits, apricots, raisins and pecans (optional).
• Spoon the mixture into the tin. Level the surface by pressing it down with a potato masher.
• Leave to cool, then put the chocolate mixture in the fridge for 1-2 hours to set.
• Turn out the cake and peel off the cling film. Cut the cake into 12 squares and enjoy!