Super-crunchy lunchbox specials. A chocolate-y treat which doesn’t actually contain much chocolate per serving

• 100g milk chocolate
• 200g dark chocolate
• 75g rice crispies
• 50g puffed quinoa
• 3 tbsp ground flaxseed
• Pinch salt

1. Line an 8-inch square tin with parchment paper
2. Melt the chocolate and put the rice crispies, quinoa, flaxseed and salt in a large bowl
3. Pour the melted chocolate over the rice crispie mixture and stir gently together until it’s evenly coated
4. Tip it into the lined tin, press it in evenly and smooth down the top with the back of a spoon
5. Put in the fridge to set for at least 2 hours
6. Cut into 16-20 squares and store in a big jar or a tin

Crunchy, creamy, sticky, salty and sweet. This is just the thing to make for the oops-I-forgot school fete, tween birthday party, or a rainy Saturday afternoon when no-one wants to do anything but everyone wants a treat.

• 125g salted butter
• 300g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 3 tbsp golden syrup
• 120g malted milk biscuits
• 60g maltesers
• 60g salted pretzels
• 100g mini marshmallows

1. Put the butter, chocolate and golden syrup in a saucepan and melt together over a low heat then set aside to cool a bit
2. While it’s melting, roughly crush the biscuits, pretzels and maltesers into a combination of crumbs and small pieces (easily to do this separately and then mix them due to different crumbling points!)
3. Tip the biscuit combo into a bowl and pour over the melted chocolate mixture
4. Stir together gently and then add the marshmallows and stir again
5. Tip into a foil-lined tin and flatten out roughly with a spoon
6. Put in the fridge for a couple of hours or until you want to serve it
7. Cut into pieces and dust with icing sugar if you’re feeling extra

Once you’ve stopped sniggering about balls, I can confirm that these are lovely, snacky delights for when you want something sweet but wholesome – they are naturally sweet, gluten free and packed with slow release energy ingredients. Makes about 15, depending how chunky you make them

• 100g dark chocolate
• 4 tbsp rolled oats
• 4 tbsp roasted unsalted peanuts
• 200g medjool dates, pitted
• 3 tbsp natural peanut butter (no added salt or sugar
• 1 heaped tbsp flax seed powder
• ¼ tsp salt

1. Melt the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave – on high for 30 seconds at a time
2. In a mini food processor, whizz up the oats and peanuts until the peanuts are nubbly and chopped, but not completely disintegrated. Tip into the melted chocolate
3. Add the dates to the mini food processor and whizz them up too. Then laboriously scrape the resulting goo into the bowl to join the chocolate, oats and peanuts
4. Add the peanut butter, flax seed powder and salt. Mix well
5. Roll the thick mixture into 10p-sized balls using your fingers
6. Put onto a plate and chill in the fridge for at least an hour
7. Prise them off the plate (or maybe think ahead and line the plate with baking paper to avoid this) and pop them in a jar. Probably best to keep in the fridge to stop them going soft if it’s warm outside

Achieves the wondrous magic of being fluffy and cloud-like whilst also being deeply, intensely chocolatey. All thanks to total flipping baking genius Dan Lepard. What can I say, any recipe that starts with making chocolate custard is well on its way to being pretty special. Makes 20 full size muffins.

• 50g cornflour
• 3 level tbsp cocoa powder
• 100g dark soft brown sugar
• 225ml cold water
• 75g unsalted butter, cubed
• 125g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
• 75ml sunflower oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 125g caster sugar
• 125g plain flour
• 2½ tsp baking powder

• Pre-heat oven to 165C fan (185C)
• First make the custard (ikr!!!) Put the cornflour, cocoa, brown sugar and water into a saucepan and whisk well over a medium heat until boiling, very thick and smooth
• Remove from the heat, beat in the butter and chocolate until melted and well combined
• Then add the oil, vanilla and one of the eggs, and beat again until combined.
• Add the remaining egg and the caster sugar, and beat again until smooth and thick
• Measure the flour and baking powder, stir together, then tip directly into the custard
• Beat through until combined
• Spoon into paper muffin cases sitting pretty in a muffin tin
• Bake for 13 mins for mini muffins, 25 mins for big ones.
• Cool on a rack before serving to a rapturous audience

Inspired by the amazing Felicity Cloake who was in turn inspired by the marvellous Nigel Slater, these brownies are nothing short of miraculous. Soft, rich, moist and deeply chocolatey with hints of texture, bitterness and tartness from.the walnuts and cherries. And light enough so you can eat 2 without feeling sick. It’s just everything you could ever want a brownie to be.

• 200g dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa)
• 250g unsalted butter, softened
• 300g caster sugar
• 3 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
• 60g plain flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 60g cocoa powder
• 100g walnuts
• 90g dried cherries

1. Pre-heat the oven to 170C fan (190C) and line a 23x23cm baking tin with baking parchment.
2. Break the chocolate into pieces and put into a heatproof bowl. Melt the chocolate using the microwave in 30.second bursts until it’s just melted
3. Put the butter and sugar into a large bowl and beat until light and fluffy
4. Add one egg at a time, beating between each one until thoroughly mixed
5. Then, the secret of making these brownies beautifully light and fluffy inside with a fine, crisp top is to continue beating the mixture for 3-5 mins, which will leave it glossy, thick and voluminous
6. Fold in the melted chocolate and then sift in the flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder. I don’t usually bother sifting things but in this recipe, I recommend it
7. Add the walnuts and cherries and gently fold together until completely mixed
8. Spoon the mixture gently into the lined tin and then fight your child for the chance to lick the spoon
9. Bake for 30-40 mins and, while it’s cooking get a larger roasting tin half full of water and ice cubes
10. When the brownies are ready, remove the tin from the oven and place directly into the cold water bath to stop it cooking (being extra careful not to let the water over the edge of the tin)
11. Leave in the water for 15 mins then put the brownie tin onto the counter and leave for another 30 mins to cool completely before cutting into squares
12. Store in an airtight container

Make these beauties gluten free by using GF plain flour or ground almonds instead of the flour.

And adapt endlessly to what you want most in your brownie. Salted pretzel pieces? Chocolate chips? Mini peanut butter cups? Honeycomb? Even a swirl of tahini. The world is your oyster (although metaphorical oyster only, I can’t imagine oysters working here. Or anywhere, to be honest). Maybe I should have said, the world is your brownie