CHOCOLATE CHILLI TORTE WITH COFFEE GROUNDS & WHOLE ROASTED APRICOTS

Recipes, food styling & photography Will Bowman & Jane Lyons

	7-10 apricots
	1 lemon, juice and zest
	50ml water
	150g white sugar, plus 3 tablespoons extra
	350g good-quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped
	250g butter, cubed
	4-6 tablespoons coffee grounds
	5 eggs
	½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
	½ teaspoon salt

1.	Preheat the oven to 170°C.
2.	Cut a small cross in the bottom of each apricot.
3.	Place in a baking dish and sprinkle over the lemon juice and zest, water and 3 tablespoons of sugar.
4.	Bake for 35 minutes, or until soft and slightly coloured.
5.	Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch the water).
6.	Stir until melted and combined.
7.	Remove from heat and stir in the remaining sugar and the coffee grounds.
8.	Set aside to cool for for 10-15 minutes.
9.	Using a wooden spoon, mix in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each egg is well incorporated.
10.	Stir in the cayenne pepper and salt.
11.	Pour into a 20- 25cm lined cake tin or pie dish and bake at 170°C for 25-30 minutes or until the torte is cooked through but still remains fudgy.
12.	Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before gently transferring to a wire rack to cool.
13.	Serve the torte with the apricots and their syrup as well as an extra sprinkle of cayenne pepper and coffee grounds (optional).