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Bacon Brownies

by Nigella

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Introduction

I don’t deny bacon in brownies sounds weird, but it does really work in a quite straightforward way. Even people who shrink from the very idea find the actual outcome all-too-compelling. I like to use American-style bacon (which you can now get in UK supermarkets) for this, but if you can’t find it, then just be sure to get streaky bacon that is cut very thin, without the rind, and snip it up into small shards. You don’t really want chewy pieces of bacon, but rather nuggets of intense saltiness within the rich, gooey chocolate squares.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

Ingredients

Makes: 16 brownies

Metric Cups

125 grams streaky bacon (thin rashers, finely chopped)
2 teaspoons golden syrup
150 grams softened unsalted butter
250 grams soft light brown sugar
75 grams cocoa powder
150 grams plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
4 large eggs (beaten)
150 grams chopped dark chocolate (or dark chocolate chips/morsels)

4 ounces bacon (thin rashers, finely chopped)
2 teaspoons golden syrup or light corn syrup
10 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
1¼ cups soft light brown sugar
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 large eggs (beaten)
6 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate (or dark chocolate chips/morsels)

Method

Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C Fan/375ºF and get out a 25cm / 10 inch square tin and line it, or (as I prefer) a throwaway foil baking tray measuring 30cm x 20cm x 15cm / 12 x 8 x 6 inches.
Heat a heavy based (preferably non stick) frying pan and when warm, add the streaky bacon bits and cook, stirring occasionally until beginning to crisp. Add the syrup, stir again to mix and transfer the sticky streaky bacon bits to a cold surface, either on some foil or a plate. The syrupy streaky bacon juices left behind are just delicious when mopped up with some bread: a cook’s treat!
Melt the butter over a gentle heat in a medium sized saucepan and when it’s melted, add the sugar, stirring with a wooden spoon.
Now take the pan off the heat and add the cocoa, flour, bicarbonate of soda and stir, then add the beaten eggs and stir again to mix.
Add the chopped dark choc or chips and the streaky bacon bits, breaking them up with your hands if necessary. Fold together then pour and scrape into the tin.
Place in the oven to cook for 20-25 minutes; you want a little gooeyness inside still.
Transfer the tin to a wire rack and sit until cooled a little (but not to the point of coldness) and cut into 16 squares.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C Fan/375ºF and get out a 25cm / 10 inch square tin and line it, or (as I prefer) a throwaway foil baking tray measuring 30cm x 20cm x 15cm / 12 x 8 x 6 inches.
Heat a heavy based (preferably non stick) frying pan and when warm, add the bacon bits and cook, stirring occasionally until beginning to crisp. Add the syrup, stir again to mix and transfer the sticky bacon bits to a cold surface, either on some foil or a plate. The syrupy bacon juices left behind are just delicious when mopped up with some bread: a cook’s treat!
Melt the butter over a gentle heat in a medium sized saucepan and when it’s melted, add the sugar, stirring with a wooden spoon.
Now take the pan off the heat and add the cocoa, flour, baking soda and stir, then add the beaten eggs and stir again to mix.
Add the chopped dark choc or chips and the bacon bits, breaking them up with your hands if necessary. Fold together then pour and scrape into the tin.
Place in the oven to cook for 20-25 minutes; you want a little gooeyness inside still.
Transfer the tin to a wire rack and sit until cooled a little (but not to the point of coldness) and cut into 16 squares.

Additional Information

MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
Cover and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of making. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Can be frozen in a resealable container (wrapped individually, if required) for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Remove the brownies from the fridge an hour before eating, so that they lose their fridge chill.

Tell us what you think

What 4 Others have said

These went down a treat as part of a bake-off at work! I added some pecans for a bit of crunch.

Posted by cloudsteph on 9th April 2019
Really good!

Posted by YonchiPonchi on 5th February 2015
I made these yesterday (by the way incredibly easy to make) and once cooled I've put them in the fridge overnight, and had a bite this morning before going to work...and it tasted so good, even cold...you just can't tell there's bacon in the brownies, it's just so good & delicious...thanks Nigella ;-)

Posted by YonchiPonchi on 5th February 2015
I made it several times and its always a success. I love bacon and before seeing Nigella on Tv for this recipe, I never knew you could put bacon in a cake. It's soooooo delicious and each time I have guests, I always do it to surprise them and none of them ever said they don't like it. Nigella a real kitchen goddess!!

Posted by RachelParadise on 14th October 2013