Let Her Eat Cake: 'Counterfeit' Chocolate Torte

Alright, by 'counterfeit' I don't mean any funny business happening with the chocolate. There is chocolate in this torte... and some biscuits and a smattering of coconut. But there isn't - you might be surprised to note - anything that contains gluten or dairy or egg.

Instead there's avocado. Those readers edging slowly away from their screens, please come back. The avocado acts in the place of cream or cream cheese to create a smooth, rich chocolately filling.

Bleurgh, I hate avocado, you're thinking. You won't even know it's there. Like a master thief, it will disappear into that fudgey, dark chocolate topping, and no-one need be any the wiser, unless you tell them. This would make an ideal dinner party dessert; crowd-pleasing and suitable for people with varied diets. Did I mention you only need four ingredients?

I used gluten and wheat-free digestive biscuits for the base of mine (these are usually available in most larger supermarkets), but if you want to go for a full-slut-chocolate-fest you could use Caleigh's gluten-free bourbon biscuits and dispense with the coconut. Scrumptious.

'Counterfeit' Chocolate Torte
You will need:
For the base

• 200g gluten-free digestive biscuits
• 100g creamed coconut (this is just 100% coconut in a block: look in the world food aisle, it comes in little cardboard packets).

For the torte

• 2 large ripe avocados 
• 250g dark chocolate (check the back to see whether it is dairy free)
• Cocoa powder, to decorate 

Make it!
The base:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. 
2. Crush the biscuits into fine crumbs, either using a blender (fast) a zip-lock bag and a rolling pin (less fast) or crushing in a bowl with a wooden spoon (slow but good for releasing aggression). Tip into a large bowl. 
3. Measure out the creamed coconut from the block and then grate or finely chop it into a separate bowl. Add several splashes of hot water and mix well until is has formed a fluid paste and no lumps remain. 
4. Spoon into the biscuit crumbs and stir well to combine. 
5. Tip into a 20cm round tin with a removable base and push into an even layer, making sure the sides are well covered and pushed down. 
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool on the side until ready to use. 

The torte:

1. Halve the avocados and scoop the flesh out into a large bowl. 
2. Cream with a hand-blender or mash with a fork until the avocado has formed a smooth paste. (If your avocados aren't quite ripe enough, or you're worried about lumps, push the avocado paste through a mesh sieve so that it is completely smooth). 
3. Break up the chocolate and melt in a bain-marie (a glass bowl set above a pan of boiling water) or in the microwave in 20 second bursts, stirring in between. 
4. Pour into the avocado and beat well until fully combined. 
5. Tip onto the biscuit base, pushing to the edges and smoothing over the top. 
6. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least an hour. 
7. Before serving, remove from the tin and dust with a layer of cocoa powder.