Ingredients
2 hours + setting time 
10-12 - 200g butter, chopped
- 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups plain/all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
- 200g dark or white chocolate, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped macadamia nuts
- Pinch sea salt flakes
- 1 liter good quality vanilla ice cream
- Sea salt flakes, for sprinkling
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C/320°F fan forced oven).
- Line the base and sides of two 24cm x 16cm brownie pans with baking paper.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over very low heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, or until the butter is lightly foaming and the solids caramelise at the bottom of the pan.
- Once the butter is golden brown and has a nutty aroma, remove from the heat and pour into a bowl to cool.
- Combine the sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs in a medium bowl.
- Beat with an electric mixer for 5 minutes or until the sugar crystals have dissolved.
- Add the cooled brown butter and mix again until combined.
- Sift the flour, bicarbonate soda, and salt together.
- Add the chocolate and macadamias and stir into the mixture until everything is completely incorporated.
- Spoon half of the mixture evenly into each pan, pressing out into the edges.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 180°C/350°F (160°C/320°F fan forced oven).
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pans.
- Scoop ice cream onto one of the cookie bars in the pan then flatten and spread the ice cream with the back of a spoon.
- Remove the second cookie bar from its pan and remove the baking paper.
- Place the second cookie bar on top of the ice cream and press it down a little.
- Cover and freeze overnight until firm.
- To serve, lift the cookie bar from the pan, remove the baking paper, slice into small bars or squares, and sprinkle with a little sea salt. Enjoy!
