Why Were My Flourless Chocolate Brownies Oily?

Our answer

Nigella's Flourless Chocolate Brownies With Hot Chocolate Sauce (from NIGELLA EXPRESS) is made with a combination of melted chocolate, butter, ground almonds and eggs. The nuts and butter give extra richness and squidgyness to the brownies as they have more oil than a regular brownie recipe.

We suspect that the butter and chocolate may have overheated slightly and caused the chocolate to separate. If this happens then there isn't any flour to absorb the fat and this will lead to the brownies looking slightly oily. We suggest removing the saucepan from the heat before the chocolate is completely melted - any lumps of chocolate will continue to melt in the residual heat and reduces the risk of the mixture becoming too hot. Also don't over-mix the batter as this can draw out the oils from the nuts. Mix until just combined.