INGREDIENTS IN CAPPUCCINO RECIPES

Prep time: 15 minutes, plus chilling (minimum 2 hours, ideally overnight) • Cook time: 5 minutes

To make the base, melt the chocolate and butter in a wide-based pan over a medium heat (see note). Remove the pan from the heat, add the crushed biscuits and stir to combine. Press into the base of the tart tin and chill in the fridge while you make the filling.

To make the filling, place the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl and add the coffee and double cream. Set the bowl over a pan of just simmering water and heat until runny, stirring gently until smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool down a little, then mix in the crème fraîche by hand.

Carefully pour the mixture into the tin on top of the biscuit base and chill for a minimum of 2 hours, or ideally overnight, until set.

Remove the tart from the tin and place it on a cake stand or plate.

Serve straight from the fridge.

To decorate, spoon the whipped cream into a piping bag (if using) and pipe or dollop five large blobs of the cream into the middle of the tart. Sprinkle over the chocolate shavings or grated chocolate and serve in thin slices.

Cook’s Notes:

• You’ll need full-fat crème fraîche for this recipe to help the filling set.

• Be sure not to overheat the chocolate and butter mixture – heat it until it is just warm enough to melt.

Prepare Ahead: Can be made up to a day ahead and kept in the fridge. Decorate 2 hours before serving.

1. There’s one really good reason to make this – chocolate! It’s what makes the world go round, especially for my girls, they’d go mad for this.
2. You can make it a few days before then just pimp it up with the accompaniments at the last minute. This is also a good one to do with the kids, as they can get involved in all the prep.
3. Place the dark chocolate and a tiny pinch of salt in a heatproof bowl and sit it over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the base of the bowl. Leave to slowly melt, stirring occasionally.
4. Meanwhile, separate your eggs so you have the whites in one bowl and the yolks in another. Add the sugar to the bowl of yolks and beat until the sugar has dissolved and its silky and smooth. Whisk the whites with a tiny pinch of salt until they form soft peaks – you should be able to hold the bowl upside down over your head without them falling out! In a third bowl, beat the cream until slightly thick and just whipped.
5. Once the chocolate has melted, carefully lift the bowl out of the pan. Add 75ml (3 shots) of amaretto and the cocoa powder to your bowl of yolks and mix well. Tip in the cream and mix again, then fold through the melted chocolate until it’s well combined and a gorgeous colour. Finish by tipping in the egg whites, then keep folding, from the outside in in a figure-of-eight until the mix is smooth and evenly coloured. It will look a bit dodgy at first, but trust me it will come together. Spoon or ladle the mousse into a big serving bowl or divide between little glasses or cappuccino cups and pop in the fridge for an hour or two until set.
6. Just before you’re ready to serve, give the mousse a lovely dusting of cocoa. Pop your dried cherries in a small pan, add a wineglass of amaretto then top with enough water to cover. Put on the heat and bring to the boil, then turn the heat off and leave to stand for a bit. This will bring the cherries back to life. Leaving them in the packet, bash up your sesame snaps in a pestle and mortar. Tip them out, and break up any larger bits that are left so its nutty with a caramelly kick and a bit of a crunch. Serve this in the mortar next to your chocolate mousse with a bowl of those beautiful cherries on the side so everyone can dig in and help themselves. It may look a bit rustic, but honestly, it’s the best chocolate mousse I’ve ever tasted!