Peanut butter fudge brownies

Method

• step 1

  Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and line a 22cm square tin with baking paper.

• step 2

  Put the butter, caster sugar, cocoa and 50g of the chocolate into a pan over a low heat, and melt together, stirring until all the butter and chocolate have melted and the mixture is hot.

• step 3

  Pour into a bowl, stir in the vanilla extract and eggs, one by one, followed by the flour.

• step 4

  Pour into the tin, smooth the top and bake for 25-30 minutes until a skewer in the middle comes out with sticky crumbs – not uncooked batter.

• step 5

  Allow to cool in the tin completely.

• step 6

  Once cool, put all of the fudge ingredients in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water.

• step 7

  Stir until melted and completely smooth, then spread over the cooled brownie base.

• step 8

  Alternatively do this in short bursts in the microwave.

• step 9

  Chill for 2 hours until the fudge is set.

• step 10

  Melt another 100g dark chocolate in a bowl over simmering water or in short bursts in the microwave.

• step 11

  Cool for a few minutes then pour over the brownies, tilting to cover all the fudge.

• step 12

  Sprinkle over the peanuts and chill again until the chocolate top is set.

• step 13

  To finish, melt the remaining 25g of dark chocolate and drizzle over the top, leave to set then remove from the tin and cut into 16 pieces.