Ingredients – serves 12

For the chocolate muffins:

• 3 eggs
• 250 g butter
• 250 g sugar
• 250 g flour
• 50 g unsweetened cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 100 ml buttermilk

For the chocolate almond cookies:

• 100 g plain flour
• 25 g cocoa powder
• 25 g ground almonds
• 100 g butter
• 60 g sugar
• 1 egg yolk

For the chocolate buttercream:

• 2 egg whites
• 100 g sugar
• 135 g butter, cut into cubes
• 100 g dark chocolate

For the chocolate ganache:

• 100 g dark chocolate
• 75 ml double cream

Method

Make the chocolate muffins:

• Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5.
• Put paper cases into a 12-hole muffin tin.
• Put the sugar, flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl and mix to combine.
• Melt the butter in a pan over a very low heat and pour into a second bowl.
• Whisk the buttermilk and eggs into the melted butter.
• Tip into the dry ingredients and quickly fold with a spoon to combine.
• Divide the mixture between the muffin holes and bake for 20 minutes.
• Leave to cool completely.

Make the chocolate almond cookies:

• Tip the flour, cocoa powder, ground almonds and butter into a food processor and whizz to fine crumbs. When not using a food processor: rub the flour and ground almonds into the butter between your fingers until they form fine crumbs.
• Add the sugar and egg yolk, then whizz to a smooth dough. When not using a food processor: knead the sugar, egg yolk and buttery flour crumbs to form a smooth dough.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry to a thickness of about 5 mm and cut into 12 small rectangles.
• Put the rectangles on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and cool for 30 minutes in the fridge.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and bake the biscuits for 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, put on a wire rack and leave to cool.

Make the chocolate buttercream:

• Put the egg whites and sugar in a mixing bowl, simmer over a pot of water and whisk constantly but gently until the temperature reaches 60°C (if you don’t have a thermometer: until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are warm), then remove from the heat.
• Whip the warmed egg withes for 10 minutes with the whisk attachment of the mixer, until the meringue is thick, glossy and cooled down.
• Switch over to a paddle attachment and mix in the butter cubes, one at a time. Keep mixing until the buttercream has reached a silky smooth texture.
• Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Once melted, add to the buttercream and beat until incorporated.

Make the chocolate ganache:

• Heat the cream in a small pan until just steaming, then take off the heat.
• Break the chocolate in small pieces.
• Add the chocolate to the warm cream and leave to melt for 5 minutes.
• Stir to make a glossy ganache, then set aside to firm up a little.

Assemble the quadruple chocolate muffins:

• Scoop out 1 teaspoon of cake and fill with chocolate ganache.
• Pipe a swirl of buttercream on each muffin and top with a cookie.
• Lightly dust with cocoa powder.