SALTY & SWEET BROWNIES

Makes 6

For the brownies

50g Ritz crackers
50g butter
1 tbsp golden syrup
100g golden caster sugar
100g dark chocolate
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
50g plain flour
50g salted peanuts
1 shot of mezcal-optional!

For the ganache & decoration

100g dark chocolate
50g peanut butter
100g peanut M&Ms

Equipment

6 hole silicone muffin tin

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
Place 6 of the ritz crackers in each of the muffin holes. Set the rest aside.

Put the butter, syrup and sugar in a saucepan. Set it over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Take the saucepan off the heat and add the chocolate, broken up into pieces, together with the vanilla extract. Leave the chocolate for a few minutes to melt in the pan, while you break up your remaining set aside ritz crackers.

Stir the chocolatey mixture in the pan until smooth and combined then beat the egg into the mixture until thick and velvety.

Fold in the flour until just combined (plus a shot of mezcal if you like your brownies served with a spirited kick!). Finally, fold in the broken-up ritz crackers and peanuts, but save just under half of the peanuts for the decoration later.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin tins and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the brownies have risen and are firm to the touch but a skewer inserted into the centre comes out a little sticky. Leave the brownies to cool completely in the tray. They will firm up as they cool.

To make the ganache melt the chocolate and peanut butter together over a bain marie or in a heat proof bowl in the microwave. Once melted and combined, chill the mixture for a few minutes until it reaches a spreadable consistency. Spread over the top of each brownie and decorate with a mix of m&ms and peanuts.