THIS is a really simple recipe – it is as equally good as a dessert or posh snack, it doesn’t take much time to make and just needs a few hours to chill and set. 
It is a variation of a recipe I used to make many years ago at Sharrow Bay Hotel in the Lake District and can easily be modified by doubling up the recipe and allowing to set in a rectangular loaf tin.
A good tip to cutting this torte is to use a warm knife, simply run it under a hot tap or dip in a bowl of water, wipe dry and then cut, repeating each time before you cut the next portion.

Ingredients (serves 12)
225g dark chocolate (75% cocoa solids) broken into pieces
110g tinned chestnuts, roughly chopped
50g dried sour cherries
50g raisins
3 tbsps rum
50g butter
150 ml double cream, lightly whipped
225g sweet oat biscuits, roughly chopped
A loose based cake tin 20cm diameter and 4cm deep, lightly greased with a flavourless oil
Method
1. Begin this the day before by soaking the dried cherries and raisins in the rum overnight.
2. Place the broken-up chocolate and butter in a large heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Allow the chocolate to melt – it should take about five minutes.
3. Remove from the heat, give the chocolate a good stir and let it cool for a couple of minutes. Fold in the cream followed by the soaked fruits, chestnuts and chopped biscuits, and mix well.
4. Spoon it into the cake tin evenly, cover with cling film and chill for a minimum of four hours.
5. Serve with a good spoonful of creme fraiche.

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