Big bad brownie trifle

Makes 12 generous serves

1 cup hazelnuts

150g dark chocolate

150g unsalted butter

5 eggs, separated

1 cup caster sugar

2 tbsp sour cream

1/3 cup cocoa

1 cup prunes, chopped

600ml-1 litre custard (thick store-bought or homemade)

600ml whipping cream

Ferrero Rocher or chocolate hazelnut slab to decorate

Preheat the oven to 160C. Toast the hazelnuts until brown and remove the skins. Meanwhile melt the chocolate and butter, stir to combine and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Roughly chop half the hazelnuts and set aside. Tip the remaining nuts into a food processor and grind until fine. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and stir into the cooled chocolate mixture, before adding sour cream and then the ground hazelnuts and cocoa. Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl, fold a third of the whites into the chocolate mixture before folding in the rest. Finally, gently mix in the hazelnuts. Spoon into a lined 24x30cm tin. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool in the tin. Cut into 16 squares. You will only need 12, so the rest can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week. Place the 12 squares of brownie on the bottom of a straight-sided trifle bowl. Scatter the prunes over the brownie squares. Spoon over the custard and then top with softly whipped cream. Decorate with chocolate-coated hazelnut pieces or halved Ferrerro Rocher.