Chocolate and Christmas

Merry Christmas, world!
After a full roast Christmas lunch and lots of champagne yesterday, today it is time to lay back and recover. The water down at the beach was beautifully cold and clear this morning, and I've already lost one game of Lord of the Rings Trivial Pursuit (but only just). Lacking interesting the Boxing Day Test (I've had had my silly-cricket-phrases-giggle already over 'orthodox right glance') and the Sydney-to-Hobart yacht race - and the resulting battle for the family television - I thought I would post a recipe from my Not-Quite-Christmas Dinner held on Wednesday.

As-Yet-Unnamed-Chocolate-Dessert

One block dark chocolate
Four tbsp unsalted butter
Two tbsp water
Two tbsp sugar
Five eggs, separated into yolks and whites
One packet Italian shortbread
One espresso

Melt the chocolate, butter, water and sugar in a metal bowl (or saucepan) placed over a saucepan of boiling water, stirring constantly. Once all melted, take off the heat and let cool for a few minutes (one track and announcement on Triple J). Stir in the egg yolks. Beat the egg whites into stiff peaks and gently fold into the mix (if beating eggs with a fork start beating a lot earlier). Place chocolate mix in fridge. Get a springform cake tin, line the bottom with greaseproof paper, and then make a base of shortbead finger that have been briefly dipped in the espresso (leaving gaps is fine). Cut other fingers in half, and place around the edge, cut end down. Pour about half the chocolate mix in, place another layer of shortbread dipped in espresso, and then pour remaining mix. Refrigerate for at least another few hours.
Serve with raspberries and cherries sprinkled over the top.