Gooey Chocolate Biscuit Bars

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 200g plain flour
• 100g caster sugar
• 100g light brown sugar
• ¼ tsp sea salt flakes
• 175g unsalted butter, soft
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 40g cocoa powder
• 200g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 100g chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp golden syrup

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan)/Gas 4 and line a 20 x 30cm baking tin with baking paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides for lifting later.
2. Beat the soft butter with both sugars for 3–4 minutes until pale and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl. Stir through the vanilla.
3. Tip in the flour, bicarbonate and sea salt and fold until just combined into a thick, scoopable cookie dough — stop the moment you no longer see streaks of flour.
4. Press two-thirds of the dough firmly into the base of the tin in an even layer, working it right into the corners.
5. Dust the cocoa powder evenly over the dough base, then scatter the chopped dark chocolate and chocolate chips on top. Drizzle the golden syrup back and forth across the lot so it catches every corner.
6. Pinch off rough spoonfuls of the remaining dough and dot them across the chocolate, leaving plenty of gaps — those bare patches are where the gooey pockets form. Don't smooth it flat.
7. Bake for 22–25 minutes, until the edges are deeply golden and set but the centre still has a soft wobble when you nudge the tin.
8. Cool in the tin for at least an hour so the chocolate centre firms up enough to slice — patience here is the difference between bars and a glorious mess.
9. Lift out using the paper overhang, scatter with a few extra sea salt flakes, and slice into 12 generous bars. Warm briefly in a low oven or microwave to revive the goo before serving.