Preheat and prep: Set your oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Grease six individual oven-safe ramekins or a large muffin tin with a little butter. You want the bowls to slide out easily later.

Melt the base: In a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt the 150g butter and 200g chopped dark chocolate together. Stir gently until the mixture is completely smooth and glossy—it should look like thick, dark silk and smell deeply of chocolate. Remove from the heat and let it cool for two minutes.

Whisk in the sweetness: Beat in the 200g caster sugar with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens slightly and feels grainy against the spoon. Then add the two eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla. Whisk vigorously until the batter becomes thick, shiny, and falls from the spoon in a rich ribbon. You'll hear the whisk against the bowl change to a softer, heavier sound as it comes together.

Fold the dry bits: Sift the 75g plain flour, 30g cocoa powder, and ¼ tsp salt directly over the batter. Gently fold with a spatula until you can no longer see any streaks of flour—the batter will be thick, fudgy, and smell intensely of cocoa. Don't overmix, or the brownies will turn cakey.

Fill the bowls: Spoon the batter evenly into the six prepared ramekins, filling each about two-thirds full. Gently press one chocolate truffle (or two chocolate buttons) into the centre of each bowl of batter, pushing it down until it's just covered. The batter will feel thick and slightly sticky against your fingers.

Bake to perfection: Place the ramekins on a baking tray and bake for exactly 12–14 minutes. The edges should look set and slightly cracked, while the centre will still wobble softly when you gently shake the tray. The smell of warm, fudgy chocolate will fill your kitchen—that's your cue they're nearly there.

Cool briefly and serve: Let the brownie bowls cool on a wire rack for exactly 2 minutes—no longer, or they'll set too much. Run a small knife around the edge of each ramekin, then invert onto plates or serving bowls. The brownie should slide out with a soft, warm thud. Top immediately with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream, fresh berries, and a scattering of chocolate shavings. Serve right away while the centre is still gloriously molten.