Ice cream cookie cups

To make the cookie dough, first brown the butter. Add the butter to a saucepan and set over a medium heat until the butter has completely melted, then increase the heat to high and allow the butter to come to a boil. Swirl the pan occasionally as the butter boils. When the bubbling stops and a fine cappuccino-like foam appears on the surface – accompanied by a nutty toffee aroma – pour the butter into the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Allow to cool.

Once cooled, add the sugars, then beat until well combined. Add the vanilla bean paste and egg and beat again. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt together in a bowl, then add to the mixer and beat to a smooth dough. Cover and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up.

Preheat the oven to 190ºC, gas mark 5. Grease the wells of a 12-hole muffin tin with a little butter. Divide the dough into 12 equal balls (I weigh the bulk of the dough, then divide this by 12 to be precise), then put 1 ball into each cavity of the greased tin. Use the end of a rolling pin or a small jar, dipped in flour, to press down onto each portion of dough, forcing it into a little cup shape. Neaten up the edges with your fingers, if needed.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the cookie cups start to set. They will dramatically puff up while baking, so quickly press down again with the rolling pin when you remove them from the oven to reform the cup shapes. Take care as the tin and dough will be very hot. Allow to cool in the tin before transferring to a wire rack. Use a palette knife to gently release the cups if they are a little stuck.

Once the cookie cups have cooled completely, move the ice cream to the fridge and let it soften for 10 minutes. Fill the cups with ice cream and spread it level with the edges of the cups using a small offset palette knife. Place onto a tray and into the freezer for the ice cream to firm up again. At this point, you could pop them into an airtight container and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months, moving onto the next step just before serving.

When ready to serve, melt the chocolate either in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, or give it a couple of 10-second blasts in the microwave. Whip the whipping cream to soft, floppy peaks and either pile it on top of the ice cream in a heap or use a piping bag and star nozzle to pipe a more traditional sundae-style swirl. Drizzle over the melted chocolate and finish with a sprinkling of chopped peanuts (or sprinkles if you choose to use those instead).