HALVA FIG BROWNIES

MAKES 1 TRAY FOR SLICING 200g ready-to-eat soft dried figs 75g halva

200g dark eating chocolate (about 70 per cent)

150g unsalted butter diced 150g golden caster sugar

4 medium eggs

80g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

3 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Discarding the stalks, cut half the figs into 1cm dice, reserving them separately, and thinly slice the remainder lengthways. Finely slice the halva into 1.5cm nibs. Gently melt the chocolate with the butter in a large bowl set over a pan containing a little simmering water. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar.

Add the eggs to the chocolate mixture one by one, beating after each addition and continuing to beat until the mixture is very glossy and combined. Sift over the flour and baking powder and fold in without overmixing. Stir in the lemon juice. Fold in the reserved diced figs and half the halva. Transfer the mixture to a nonstick brownie tin about 23cm square x 4cm deep (if not nonstick, butter and line it, allowing a paper overhang for lifting out). Smooth the surface and arrange the reserved sliced figs on top with the seeds showing. Scatter over the remaining halva.

Bake for 25-30 minutes (checking after 25 minutes) or until the edges are risen and slightly cracked, leaving just a few gooey crumbs clinging when tested with a skewer, and the brownie is a little stickier in the centre. Leave to cool for at least half a day before removing from the tin and slicing.

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