Kat says: “These are the ultimate fudgy chocolate cookie. As you would expect from their name, they are a brownie batter made into cookies. Speed is essential when getting the brownie batter in the oven in order to achieve the coveted shiny and cracked top. But don’t worry, even more relaxed bakers can still enjoy the finished product. Add flaky sea salt for delicious contrast, and tuck into these indulgent treats.”

Prep time: 25 minutes

Bake time: 12 minutes

Makes: 12

Ingredients

• 200g dark chocolate, ideally a high cocoa content (70% cocoa solids)
• 150g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
• 2 large eggs
• 100g soft light brown sugar
• 100g caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 125g plain flour
• 25g cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt

For decoration: 

• 1–2 tsp flaky sea salt (optional – but recommended!)

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/Gas Mark 4 and grease and line your baking trays – I used three large ones.

Melt the chocolate and butter together in a pan on a low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, using an electric hand whisk, or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk together the eggs, light brown sugar, caster sugar and vanilla extract for exactly 5 minutes until thick and pale in colour (set a timer for accuracy). Add the melted chocolate mixture, whisking constantly as you pour it in. Gently whisk in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Working quickly, use a 5cm cookie scoop or a large spoon to place spoonfuls of the batter onto the lined baking trays. Leave space between them as they will spread.

Bake for 12 minutes. The sooner you get them in the oven, the more likely you are to achieve the shiny and crackly top.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle each cookie with some flaky sea salt. Leave to cool completely on the trays before moving as they will be very delicate. Store in an airtight container in a cool place and eat within 3 days.

Kat says: “Salty peanuts and sweet milk chocolate combine in these cute mini cookie cups. These are made easily in a cupcake tin, the dough is packed with milk chocolate chips and salted peanuts, and the middle is stuffed with creamy peanut butter and a chocolate-covered peanut butter cup. They are absolutely delicious and especially good enjoyed warm.”

Prep time: 35 minutes

Bake time: 12–14 minutes

Makes: 12

Ingredients

• 100g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
• 100g caster sugar
• 65g soft light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 215g plain flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 100g milk chocolate chips
• 100g roasted salted peanuts, roughly chopped

For the filling: 

• 125g smooth peanut butter
• 12 chocolate-covered
• peanut butter cups (I use Reese’s)

For decoration:

• 6 roasted salted peanuts, halved

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/Gas Mark 6 and grease a 12-hole cupcake tin lightly with butter or baking spread.

Ideally using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter, caster sugar and light brown sugar until fluffy and paler in colour. This will take 3–5 minutes in a stand mixer on a medium speed. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract.

Add the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and mix in until just combined. Briefly mix in the milk chocolate chips and peanuts to evenly distribute them.

Divide the dough into 12 equal portions – I weighed the dough and used 62g per cookie cup. Roll the dough portions into balls using your hands, then place each ball into the hole of the cupcake tin. Use a small cylinder-shaped object, such as the end of a small rolling pin, or the base of a small bottle, to shape the dough into the cupcake tin. You’re aiming for it to be pressed up the sides and along the base at a similar thickness, with a dip in the middle that’s wide enough to fit the chocolate-covered peanut butter cup.

Bake for 12 minutes, or until golden. The cookie cups will rise in the middle, so use the same tool that you used to shape them to push the middles back down as soon as they come out of the oven.

Fill the cups with the smooth peanut butter and add a chocolate-covered peanut butter cup to each cookie cup while they are still warm. Top with half a peanut once the peanut butter cups have melted all the way to the middle so that the peanut sticks. Leave until cool enough to handle, then remove from the tin and enjoy warm, or leave to cool completely. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in a cool place for 3 days.

Tip
These cookie cups are amazing served warm with ice cream!

Prep time: 30 minutes

Bake time: 12–15 minutes

Decorating time: 30 minutes

Makes: 12

Ingredients

• Cake release spray or vegetable oil, for greasing
• 235g dark chocolate
• 165g unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs
• 165g soft light brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 80g plain flour

For decoration:

• 200g milk chocolate
• 25g white chocolate
• Various sprinkles and chocolates of your choice

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 160°C fan/Gas Mark 4 and spray two 6-hole silicone donut moulds with cake release spray, or brush with some vegetable oil.

Melt the dark chocolate and butter together in a pan on a low heat, stirring occasionally. When fully melted, remove from the heat. Leave to cool for 5 minutes.

In a mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract for exactly 5 minutes (set a timer for accuracy) until thicker and paler in colour. Slowly add the chocolate and butter mixture, whisking constantly as you pour it in. Gently whisk in the flour. Transfer the mixture into a piping bag or a jug and divide it equally between the donut rings. Bake for 12–15 minutes, depending on how crispy you like the edge. Leave to cool completely in the moulds.

Place the bronuts on a sheet of baking paper on a work surface ready for decorating. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl in the microwave (blast for 30 seconds, stir, then blast in 10-second intervals, stirring between each one) or over a pan of simmering water. Dip the more rounded half of the bronuts into the melted chocolate, then place back on to the baking paper. Melt the white chocolate in the same way and drizzle it over the bronuts.

Add your sprinkles, chocolates and other decorations while the chocolate is still wet so that they stick. Leave the chocolate to set fully. Store in an airtight container in a cool place and eat within 3 days.

Tip
You can dip the bronuts in white or dark chocolate if you prefer and customise the decoration to your favourite flavours.

Bakes That Break The Internet by Kat Buckley (£12.99, Pop Press) is out now