I was perfecting these delicious little cookies the week I launched my website and business in early 2009. They were so delicious, I put them on the menu. They have those amazing brownie qualities of a fudgey chocolate middle and a perfect crisp finish. The trick is in the timing it has to be spot on. Keep an eye on them in the final minutes, as they will only start to crack at the very end. When they have cracked all the way across the top take them out of the oven immediately. Beating the egg and sugar helps to give it that shiny brownie top by giving it some of the properties of meringue a good tip for any brownie recipe. These are delicious with chopped nuts or try them with white and milk chocolate chips.

Ingredients

Makes a baker’s dozen

Dark chocolate (chopped) 110g

Butter 20g

Sugar 50g

Medium eggs 2

Espresso powder 1/2 tsp

Vanilla 1/2 tsp

Marriage’s or any quality plain flour 60g

Baking powder 1/4 tsp

Salt 1/4 tsp

Small handful toasted flaked almonds

Method

1. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler. To achieve best results, remove from the heat just as soon as all the butter has melted, and stir to melt the rest of the chocolate.

2. In another bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs for two minutes vigorously by hand. Add the hot melted chocolate, then stir in the remaining ingredients, except for the almonds. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

3. Scoop the dough roughly table tennis ball size onto lined baking sheets and two inches apart.

4. Bake for 11 to 12 minutes in a 180C oven, until the tops are shiny and cracked. When they are cracked all the way across the top surface, they are done.

5. Remove from the oven, and top with a flaked almond or two.

6. Wait a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.