Bacon Brownies

Asked by marcusg. Answered on 3rd March 2014

Full question

Hi, I just tried making the Bacon Brownies and followed the recipe to the letter. But rather than come out with a dense brownie, it came out more cake-like. I don't know where I went wrong!

Our answer

There can be a few factors that affect the texture of a brownie but for Nigella's Bacon Brownies (on the Nigella website) we suspect that the most likely reason for a cake-like texture is that the brownies baked for slightly too long. Brownies should not be baked until they are cooked properly all the way through, they need to be taken out of the oven when the centre is still a little under-baked (but not raw).

Unfortunately all ovens vary slightly and also the type of pan you use can affect the baking time. To get a squishy brownie, we suggest you start checking the brownies 5 minutes before the end of the baking time in the recipe (so in the Bacon Brownies check after 15 minutes). The top of the brownies should look dry and set. Then insert a skewer into the centre of the brownies - if the skewer comes out with uncooked batter on it then return the pan to the oven for 5 minutes before checking again. If the skewer comes out with some damp crumbs clinging to it then this is the time to remove the brownies from the oven - they should become more dense and squidgy as they cool down. If the skewer comes out clean then the brownies have cooked a little too long and will have more of a cake-like texture.