Sinking Everyday Brownies

Asked by Ash23. Answered on 14th March 2020

Full question

I've baked the Nigella Everyday Brownies several times but each time they sink in the middle. The middle part is overly gooey (has to be eaten with a spoon) while I feel the sides are baked the perfect amount. The middle is thin while the sides are a good height. My oven has a 180° mark and a 200° mark. I put the knob in between the two marks hoping it will be 190° but not sure. I place the pan in the middle of the oven. I don't want to compromise on the gooey texture while at the same time would like the centre to be more formed and not sink. Please help!

Everyday Brownies

By Nigella

Our answer

Nigella's Everyday Brownies (from KITCHEN) are brownies made with more everyday, storecupboard ingredients that are easy to make almost anytime. The brownie batter is studded with chunks of chopped up milk chocolate from a bar. The brownies should be gooey in the middle and the brownies themselves are not that thick.

From the description of the cooked brownies it seems to us that they are actually not cooked enough in the centre. This would explain why the brownies sink in the centre and also why the centre needs to be eaten with a spoon. Baking brownies to the correct point can be a bit tricky, but if you don't have a 190°C mark on your oven then it would probably be better to use 180°C and allow a slightly longer baking time. Also note that the temperature given in KITCHEN is for a regular oven. If you have a fan or convection oven then you would need to reduce the temperature of the oven. Usually you reduce the temperature by 20°C, but as ovens vary it is best to check the handbook for your oven for guidance. We suggest checking the brownies after the initial baking time and insert a cake tester into the centre. The cake tester should come out slightly gungy - it should have damp brownie crumbs attached to it but not uncooked brownie batter. If the brownies are not cooked enough then bake for another 3-4 minutes and check again and keep doing this until the cake tester has damp crumbs attached.