Chetna Makan’s Halloween brownie cookies

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. In a saucepan, melt the butter and cook gently for a couple of minutes until it turns lightly golden. Pour it into a large bowl and cool slightly.

2. In another bowl, mix together the flour, ¼ tsp salt, baking powder, cocoa powder, caster sugar and chocolate chips. Add this, plus the vanilla and egg, to the bowl of melted butter. Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined.

3. Divide the dough into 12 portions and shape into small balls. Press each ball gently (don’t flatten it too much, they still need to be rounded with just a flat top) and place onto the prepared tray, spaced well apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, then let them cool slightly before transferring to a cooling rack.

4. For the decoration, whisk the egg white until it forms soft peaks. Gradually work in the icing sugar, using the whisk first and then a spatula as it becomes thicker. It should be smooth and pipeable, not too stiff or too runny.

5. Transfer the icing to a piping bag with a small nozzle and pipe ‘bandages’ onto the cookies from side to side, making them look like mummies. Use the icing to stick the eyes on to the cookies then leave to set. Spiders’ webs look great too. Enjoy these cookies fresh and on the day of cooking, for a fudgy texture inside.