Emergency Brownies
by Nigella. Featured in AT MY TABLEIntroduction
This is for those times you urgently need a brownie, but don't want to make — or, rather, can't justify making — a whole batch. This recipe makes two (four if needs be) fudgy brownies to be snaffled straight from the tin. And they can be turned into glorious sundaes: squodge into glasses with ice cream, pour a little maple syrup over and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
It is worth keeping takeaway-style foil tins in the house just to make these. Take my word for it, it will be a frequent occurrence.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
This is for those times you urgently need a brownie, but don't want to make — or, rather, can't justify making — a whole batch. This recipe makes two (four if needs be) fudgy brownies to be snaffled straight from the tin. And they can be turned into glorious sundaes: squodge into glasses with ice cream, pour a little maple syrup over and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
It is worth keeping takeaway-style foil tins in the house just to make these. Take my word for it, it will be a frequent occurrence.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Ingredients
Makes: 2 generous squares or 4 more modest rectangles
- 50 grams soft unsalted butter
- 50 grams soft light brown sugar
- 1 x 15ml tablespoon (25g) maple or golden syrup
- 3 x 15ml tablespoons (35g) plain flour
- 3 x 15ml tablespoons (20g) cocoa
- ¼ teaspoon Maldon sea salt flakes
- 1 large egg (at room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 50 grams walnut pieces
- 50 grams dark or milk chocolate chips (as wished)
- 3 tablespoons soft unsalted butter
- ¼ cup soft light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon (25g) maple or golden syrup or light corn syrup
- 3 tablespoons (35g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (20g) unsweetened cocoa
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg (at room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup walnut pieces
- ¼ cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips (as wished)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C Fan/325°F. Put the butter, sugar and maple or golden syrup into a small heavy-based saucepan and gently warm, stirring once or twice, until the butter's melted and the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Fork together the flour, cocoa and salt to mix, then beat into the butter and sugar pan with a wooden spoon or spatula until smoothly combined.
- Whisk the egg with the vanilla — just casually, by hand — then stir into the pan, giving a final little whisk, if needed, to make sure everything's mixed together thoroughly, before folding in the nuts and chocolate chips. Pour and scrape this nubbly brownie batter into a foil tin measuring approx. 18 x 11 x 5cm / 7 x 5 x 2in. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until it is beginning to come away at the sides and the top has dried a little just around the edges.
- Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool — but not completely. I leave them for 20-30 minutes (and that's difficult enough) so that my first bite gets them when still warm, but just set enough to cut into 2 squidgy squares. If your need is not so great, or you want them to go further, cut each square in half again.
- Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C Fan/325°F. Put the butter, sugar and maple or golden syrup or light corn syrup into a small heavy-based saucepan and gently warm, stirring once or twice, until the butter's melted and the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Fork together the flour, unsweetened cocoa and salt to mix, then beat into the butter and sugar pan with a wooden spoon or spatula until smoothly combined.
- Whisk the egg with the vanilla — just casually, by hand — then stir into the pan, giving a final little whisk, if needed, to make sure everything's mixed together thoroughly, before folding in the nuts and chocolate chips. Pour and scrape this nubbly brownie batter into a foil tin measuring approx. 18 x 11 x 5cm / 7 x 5 x 2in. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until it is beginning to come away at the sides and the top has dried a little just around the edges.
- Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool — but not completely. I leave them for 20-30 minutes (and that's difficult enough) so that my first bite gets them when still warm, but just set enough to cut into 2 squidgy squares. If your need is not so great, or you want them to go further, cut each square in half again.
Additional Information
STORE NOTE:
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 5 days.
STORE NOTE:
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 5 days.
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Show more commentsIn my opinion these are better than Nigella’s standard brownie recipe. Richer darker less sweet. Really delicious. Made with varying degrees of success in ceramic receptacles but only perfected when I eventually procured a foil container. Nigella really does know what she’s talking about.
Just the flat chocolate cake we were dreaming of thanks Nigella!
Haha ...leftovers?
Thank you Nigella, I’ve been in forced Covid isolation for 3 days so far (no chocolate). Four days to go…. This treat should see me through. Had to use what I had in the pantry as I can’t go to the shop. Honey and Pecans seem to work as substitutes.
I agree, the salt is the secret. Delish! from lockdown central Melbourne, Australia.
I've made these more than once and they are stupendously delicious. The tang of the salt makes them. I bake them in a small loaf pan with a paper liner dropped into it and they come out perfectly and cut into six generously gooey bars. It's worth playing around with the syrup/nuts/chocolate combinations once you've tried the master recipe too, (e.g. dark maple syrup/pecans/85% dark choc), so dive in and enjoy yourselves.
Great easy recipe, quick to prepare & bake. Enough for 4 people as a sweet after dinner treat unless you are exceptionally greedy. I missed the walnuts out of the mixture but sprinkled some on top as prefer smooth brownie.
This is gorgeous. I made double quantity as there were four of us. Judged the timings as there was more mixture, not gooey but soft enough with a brownie texture. As I cooked it for longer I only let it sit for about 5 mins, whilst I hacked off some ice cream to have with it, confusingly called ‘soft scoop’. I divided into 4, but even with our appetites it looked too much, so cut a quarter off. Quick to make, I would reduce the amount of nuts slightly Xx
Made them last week and they went down well a good recipe to know and I shall be making them again.
Made this with the 6-year old grandson yesterday, we were all (including grandpa) ecstatic. Brilliant recipe, thanks!
These are AWESOME. Perfect lockdown brownies. Nice to bake and keep my toddler amused, whilst not resulting in too many to expand the waistline! Delish.
10/10 - absolutely stunning brownies!
Hello Nigella, I am in self isolation as a result of the covid-19 virus. I found your Emergency Brownies recipe and thankfully I had the ingredients on hand (not that there were many). Absolutely delicious, hit the spot. Thank you from Canada.