Salted Caramel Chocolate Torte

Definitely a dessert to impress at a dinner party! This is one of those desserts that actually tastes as rich, chocolately and satisfying as it looks. I would be happy to pay for this at the end of my meal in a posh restaurant, even if I do say so myself.

175g digestive biscuits
85g butter , melted
397g tin of caramel (such as Carnation caramel)
1 tsp sea salt , plus extra to serve
300g plain chocolate, broken into chunks
600ml tub double cream
25g icing sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Line the base of a deep, round 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin with a circle of baking parchment. Line the sides with one long strip that comes just above the sides of the tin - staple or paper clip where the strip overlaps to hold it in place.

2. Crush the biscuits in a plastic bag or bowl with the end of a rolling pin. Stir into the melted butter, then evenly press into the bottom of the tin. Chill for 10 mins.

3. Reserve 2 tbsp of the caramel. Stir the sea salt into the remainder and spoon into the centre of the biscuit base. Gently spread so the base is evenly covered but a visible 1-2cm border of biscuit remains around the edge. Chill for 20 mins while you make the chocolate layer.

4. Gently melt the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir 1 tbsp of the cream into the reserved caramel, then cover and chill until ready to decorate. Once the chocolate has melted, turn off the heat but leave the bowl where it is, and gradually stir in the remaining cream until you have a smooth, shiny, thick chocolate sauce. Mine started to turn into a big lump to begin with, byt keep perservering and stirring well as you add the cream and it should results in a smooth creamy mix.  Sift in the icing sugar and stir in with the vanilla extract. Lift off the heat and let the mixture cool for 10 mins.

5. Ladle or pour the chocolate mixture around the edge of the torte first, so it fills the biscuit border, sealing the caramel in the centre. Then ladle or pour in the rest and gently shake to smooth the surface. Chill for at least 5 hrs or up to 24 hours until firm.

6. Remove the torte from the tin, then carefully peel off the strip of paper and transfer to a serving plate. Spoon the reserved caramel-cream mixture into a small food or freezer bag. Snip off the tiniest tip of the corner to make a very small opening, then squiggle lines of caramel over the top.

Chill until ready to serve. Scatter with a pinch or two of sea salt before serving (though I didnt do this), then thinly (or not so thinly) slice. Eat with a drizzle of single cream, if you like.

Notes - The recipie was originally from the BBC Good Food Website  I didnt bother with the individual chocolates on top as suggested in the original recipe for a number of reasons:
1 - They are quite expensive;
2 - I couldnt find any;
3 - It would interfere with portion sizes if you dont put them in the right place;
4 - It would be more noticeable to my husband that I snuck another slither from the fridge when I had the munchies after breakfast the next day!!!