Truffle Torte

This recipe is quite simply the best chocolate dessert I have tasted in years – and quite the easiest to make. The recipe was generously given to me by Derek Fuller, formerly executive chef at the Athenaeum Hotel in Piccadilly, and has proved a winner with everyone who has tried it. It is very rich, though, so serve small portions! The torte does freeze well, but since you can also make it a couple of days in advance, this doesn't really seem necessary.You can buy liquid glucose from some chemists and supermarkets, or online at http://www.jmloveridge.com

Method

Start off by sprinkling the crushed biscuits all over the base of the tin. Next, break the chocolate into sections and put them in a heatproof bowl together with the liquid glucose and the rum. Fit the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, then leave it until the chocolate has melted and become quite smooth. Stir, then take off the heat and leave the mixture to cool for 5 minutes or so until it feels just warm.

Now, in a separate bowl, beat the cream until only very slightly thickened. Fold half into the chocolate mixture and then fold that mixture into the rest of the cream. When it is smoothly blended, spoon it into the prepared tin. Tap the tin gently to even the mixture out, cover with clingfilm and chill overnight. Just before serving, run a palette knife round the edge to loosen the torte, then give it a good shake and turn the whole thing out on to a serving plate (don't be nervous about this – it's very well behaved).

To serve, dust the surface with sifted cocoa powder and, if you like, mark the top into serving sections. Have some chilled pouring cream to go with it; if you have any, a couple of tablespoons of amaretto liqueur makes a wonderful addition to the cream.