“Death by Chocolate” biscuits

No excuses, no apologies – just seriously chocolately shortbreads!

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These indulgent orange shortbread biscuits are topped with a dome of soft orange chocolate ganache and are smothered in milk chocolate.

A few streaks of ruby chocolate finish these off, adding a lovely hint of extra fruitness.

You can shake up the ganache will all manner of other flavours: I sometimes stir in a spoonful or two of the following, depending on my mood:

• salted caramel
• strong coffee
• banana cooked in rum and puréed

Recipe: “Death by Chocolate” biscuits – makes about 30

Orange shortbread:

• 240g plain flour
• 120g sugar
• 180g soft unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons good quality almond extract
• a pinch of salt
• finely grated zest of 1 large orange

Orange ganache:

• 100ml full-fat milk (you can use single or double cream for added richness!)
• 200g dark chocolate
• juice of 1-2 large oranges
• finely grated zest of 1 large orange

To finish:

• about 250g milk or dark chocolate, melted
• 60g ruby chocolate, melted

(1) Pre-heat the oven to 150C (fan).

(2) Put the shortbread dough ingredients into a food processor and pulse gently to break everything down initially and until it just starts to clump together. Alternatively, rub the ingredients together until it becomes a soft dough with no dry bits.

(3) Empty onto the work surface and knead lightly to form a soft ball. Flatten down and wrap in clingfilm or a clean tea towel. Chill for about 30 minutes.

(4) Roll out to about 5mm thick between two sheets of greaseproof: this  makes it easier to roll and cut. Use the greaseproof to line a couple of large baking sheets.

(5) Cut out circles or shapes of choice using a cutter and transfer to the baking sheet. Gently re-roll the trimmings for more biscuits.

(6) Prick the surface a few times to stop them rising too much and bake for about 12-14 minutes until very pale golden but watch them carefully after 12 minutes, so they do not get too dark.

NB: they will spread a little as they bake so if you want very neat shortbreads, place the cutter back over each biscuit as soon as they come out of the oven: the excess trimming are great to eat – cook’s treat!

(7) Place then carefully to on a wire rack using a palette knife: they will crisp up as they cool.

(8) For the ganache, heat the milk in a pan (or in a bowl in the microwave) until it starts to steam. Add the chocolate and leave for a few minutes before stirring until the chocolate has fully melted and you have a glossy mixture. Stir in the orange juice (I tend to start with the juice of 1 of the oranges and add more if I feel it needs it).

(9) Place the ganache in the fridge until it has firmed up to a spoonable or pipeable consistency.

(10) Pipe or spoon small mounds of the set ganache onto the cooled biscuits and dip into the melted chocolate with the mound facing downwards: I hold the biscuit with my thumb and forefinger, lightly dunking it into the chocolate just until the chocolate comes to the side rim of the biscuit.

(11) Lift out to allow the excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl of melted chocolate and place, this time mound facing upwards, onto a wire rack with a sheet of greaseproof underneath to catch the drips: these drips can be re-melted to use later.

(12) Drizzle over a little of the ruby chocolate (you can do this while the milk chocolate is still runny to give a smooth finish, or else drizzle over when the milk chocolate has set. Leave the chocolate to set and chill. I find it is best to remove them from the fridge before eating them as they take on a better flavour when at room temperature.