Gingerbread caramel brownies

For the gingerbread caramel:

• Double cream 50ml
• Unsalted butter 20g
• Caster sugar 60g
• Golden syrup 40g
• Treacle 1 tbsp
• Water 1 tbsp
• Clove 1
• Allspice ½ tsp
• Ground ginger ¼ tsp
• Ground cinnamon ¼ tsp
• Sea salt a pinch

For the brownies:

• 70% dark chocolate 250g , chopped
• Unsalted butter 175g, cut into cubes
• Light muscovado sugar 125g
• Eggs 4
• Ground almonds 100g
• Sea salt ½ tsp, crushed
• Vanilla extract 1 tsp

1. Preheat the oven to 180°c/gas 4.
2. For the caramel: put the cream, spices and salt into a small pan and gently bring to the boil.
3. In another pan, gently melt the caster sugar, golden syrup, treacle and water. Once it has formed a dark liquid, increase the heat. Then, when it comes to the boil, time for 2 minutes. During this time, regularly lift the pan off the heat to swirl the bubbling mixture (do not stir) to ensure that it doesn’t catch on the bottom.
4. After 2 minutes, remove from the heat. Add the warm cream mixture and then the butter. Stir the mixture gently on a low heat to ensure that the butter melts. Pour the mixture through a sieve into the prepared shallow dish lined with baking parchment and leave somewhere cool to set into a gooey caramel for at least 15 minutes.
5. For the brownies: melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Once melted remove the bowl from the heat and leave to cool for a few minutes.
6. Beat the eggs and sugar together in a separate bowl with a electric whisk until increased in volume, pale and fluffy. Fold the ground almonds, salt and vanilla extract into the egg mixture with a large metal spoon, add the melted chocolate and gently fold together.
7. Pour half of the brownie mixture into a prepared tin, drizzle in ¾ of the caramel using a spoon to spread it around the surface of the brownie.Then pour on the remaining brownie mixture. Finish by drizzling the remaining caramel mixture in swirly lines on the top of the brownie.
8. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until risen at the edges but still squidgy in the middle.  Don’t worry if it appears undercooked, it will continue cooking after being taken out of the oven. Leave to cool in the tin.
9. Cut into squares and dust with either cocoa powder or icing sugar for a festive look.