Ingredients for homemade chocolate spread: – 100g mixed nuts – 100g dark chocolate (70%) – 1–2 tbsp maple syrup

Method of preparation: 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan. 2. Toast the nuts for 10 minutes, until darkened and fragrant. 3. While the nuts are toasting, melt the chocolate in a bowl suspended over a pan of simmering water. Don’t let the base of the bowl touch the water, or the chocolate will burn.

As soon as the nuts come out of the oven, place them into a food processor and process until they turn into a paste.  This should take about 5 minutes, but timings vary depending on the strength of your food processor.

Stream through the chocolate while the motor is running. Continue to blend until it’s incorporated, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Taste, and add maple syrup to sweeten if desired. Pour into a jar for storage.