THIS week we’re treating to you to recipes involving two popular ingredients – chocolate and nuts. They’re a great combination used across a whole host of popular dessert recipes at The Side Door and you’re definitely in the minority if you don’t like them.

Chocolate is made from the pod of a tree Theobroma Cacao, which translates as "food of the Gods". The beans and pulp in the pods are fermented, dried and then roasted to make what we know as chocolate. The more cocoa solids and butter there is in a chocolate, the more intense and better quality the chocolate will be. You’ll also get better results if you’re using it to cook with too. As a rule, 75% cocoa solids and above is what you’re looking for in a good quality bar of chocolate. And, as most of us now know, the more cocoa solids there are, the darker and more bitter it will be which is better it is for you – so there’s definitely an incentive to buy the good stuff.

Firstly, Chocolate, Chestnut and Almond cake. Pre heat your oven to 160°C /320F°/Gas mark 3, then line a 20 cm spring form cake tin with greased proof paper.

Place a 200g (7oz) packet of chestnuts in a small saucepan, cover with milk and simmer gently for about 10 minutes, until the chestnuts are soft. Drain them, leave to cool, roughly chop them and set aside. Next beat 180g (6oz) butter with 140g (5oz) caster sugar in a mixer (or by hand) until pale in colour and very fluffy. Then add 5 egg yolks one by one, keeping the whites in a separate bowl. Then stir 180g (6oz) of whole blanched almonds roughly chopped quite small (or you could use ready ground almonds) into your sugar, butter and egg yolk mix, 200g (7oz) of roughly chopped, good quality chocolate and your chopped chestnuts.

Next whip up your egg whites with about 50g (2oz) caster sugar until just firm and then gently fold them into your cake mixture. Pour this into your cake tin and bake for about 45 - 50 minutes. To check if it is ready, give the cake tin a gentle shake, if the filling is still wobbly, it will need more cooking.

This recipe for Baked chocolate cheesecake with hazelnuts is divine. Pre heat your oven to 170°C/340°F/Gas mark 3. First make the crust by putting 115g (4oz) digestive biscuits into a tea towel or strong polythene bag and crush with a rolling pin. Melt 85g (3oz) butter and grate 1oz (28g) of chocolate then add them to the biscuit crumbs, mixing well. Press this mixture into the bottom of a 20cm spring form cake tin.

Now make the filling. Roughly chop 240g (8oz) chocolate into a bowl and add 180g (6oz) butter. Place this bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until the mixture is smooth, now stir in 150ml (5 fl oz) soured cream and 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Heat it all gently and then remove from the heat. Whisk 2 large eggs with 125g (4oz) caster sugar until thick and pale, then beat in 500g (1lb 1oz) cream cheese and stir this into your chocolate mixture.

Next roughly chop 125g (4oz) shelled hazelnuts and gently fold this into the above mixture, pour the filling onto your biscuit base in the cake tin and bake for about 1½ hours. Leave to cool and chill in the fridge – it will sink slightly so don’t worry. You can decorate the top with more chopped hazelnuts and serve with ice cream. Chocolate heaven.

* Sheila Benson and Sean Millar are at The Side Door, 29a Hope Street, Liverpool. Tel: 0151 707 7888.