Smoky Aubergine & Tahini Brownies

1. If you have a gas hob, turn on a medium hob and set it to low. Place the aubergines directly on the flame. Char the aubergines, one at a time and turning them with tongs, till they're black all over and soft. Alternatively, halve the aubergines and grill them, skin-side up, for 10 mins or till blackened. Pop the aubergines in a bowl. Leave to cool for 10-15 mins.

2. Meanwhile, heat your oven to 190°C/Fan 170°C/Gas 5. Grease a brownie pan with a little butter. Half-fill a medium-sized pan with water and set it on the hob to come to the boil.

3. Chop the chocolate into small chunks. Tip into a heatproof bowl and set it over the pan of simmering water – making sure the water doesn’t touch the bowl. Warm for 3-5 mins till the chocolate has melted. Or, if you have a microwave, you can melt it in there, checking and stirring every 15-20 secs to make sure it doesn’t burn.

4. Peel the black skin off the aubergines (mind your fingers – they may still be hot) and place the aubergine flesh and seeds in a clean bowl. Add the butter and beat together with an electric beater or wooden spoon till well combined. Crack in the eggs and beat them in, then add the honey. Beat till well mixed. Pour in the chocolate and beat again till everything is mixed together to make a smoth batter.

5. Sift in the cocoa powder. Add the ground almonds with a pinch of sea salt. Stir together till mixed. Pour the batter into the tin, making sure to scrape everything in.

6. Spoon the tahini into the brownie mixture, dolloping it in across the tin, then use a skewer to swirl it around a little so you get a marbled effect. Bake for 25 mins till a crust has just formed and the middle still has a wobble in it. If you have a big roasting tin, add a few handfuls of ice to that and sit the hot brownie tin on the ice. Pour in cold water so it doesn’t come above the tin – this ice bath will stop the brownies cooking straight away so you keep the soft, gooey middle. Leave them to cool.

7. You can serve the brownies warm, or let them cool completely, then freeze for 1 hr or overnight – this helps make the texture really fudgy. Take them out of the freezer 1 hr before serving, then slice into 12 and serve by themselves or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. They’ll keep for 7 days in an airtight tin or you can freeze them for up to 3 months.