No-bake chocolate biscuit cake

Chocolate syrup: cook the butter, sugar, cocoa and milk over medium heat, whisking until the butter melts and everything is smooth.

Off the heat, add four ounces of broken semi-sweet chocolate to melt, and a teaspoon of vanilla.

Crumble the cookies into a bowl, pour the chocolate sauce over and mix; dried fruit, white chocolate chips (once cooled) or toasted nuts are optional.

Line the bottom of a springform pan with parchment, pour in the mixture and press it down to compact.

Refrigerate about an hour or two until set (the freezer is faster); it can be made the day before.

Run a knife around the pan. Ganache: heat half a cup of heavy whipping cream until scalding, just before boiling, and pour over four ounces of broken semi-sweet chocolate to melt it into a shiny ganache; add about half a teaspoon of vanilla.

Release the cake onto a cake pedestal, leaving the parchment underneath.

Pour the ganache on top and spread it to the edges with an offset spatula, letting it drip down the sides.

Decorate with a few candy pearls where each slice will be.