Blondies are all very well.

But don’t underestimate brunettes; beauties such as Jackie O, Jane Birkin, Charlotte Rampling, Cindy Crawford, Audrey Hepburn, Priyanka Chopra….Sophia Loren all fall into the category – follow this link for Vogue’s gallery of the 39 most beautiful brunettes of all time.

And then, of course, there are these, culinary, brunettes. Instead of being made with cloying, sweet, white chocolate, these dark delights have, like the ladies listed above, a sultriness, and a sophistication.

Serve them with coffee in the morning…. or warm with vanilla ice cream as an elegant dinner party pud. They will keep in an airtight container for a few days.

Here’s how to make them.

Recipe for sophisticated and sultry peanut butter brunettes

Produces 9 squares

Ingredients

• 200g/7 oz 70% + dark chocolate
• 90g/3 oz salted peanuts
• 200g/7 oz smooth peanut butter
• 150g/5 oz/¾ cup golden caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 150g/1¼ cups plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Olive oil for oiling

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
2. Oil a baking tray about 20cm/8” square, and line it with baking paper.
3. Put the peanut butter, the sugar, and three-quarters of the chocolate into a large, heatproof mixing bowl over a saucepan of water, which it doesn’t touch, heat and melt. Stir. Take off the heat, and take the bowl off the saucepan.
4. Roughly chop the rest of the chocolate and set aside. Roughly chop the peanuts.
5. When the chocolate mixture is cool, add an egg, stir, add the second egg, stir, and add the third egg, stir.
6. Sift in the flour and baking powder. Stir.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared baking tin. Sprinkle over the remaining chocolate and nuts.
8. Bake for about 25 minutes.
9. You can either serve warm…. or cool on a wire rack.