Nigella Lawson Chocolate Brownies
Quite possibly the only brownie recipe you will ever need, Nigella Lawson Chocolate Brownies, from her gorgeous bake book, How to be a Domestic Goddess. My kids ask for these every birthday, which is lucky for me as I’m pretty rubbish at fancy cake decorating, and means we have them at least four times a year. Clearly we have them more often. School bake sales call for chocolate brownies all the time, make a batch and keep half for yourself. They freeze well so you can pop them into packed lunches as a special Friday treats with minimal fuss.
Simple; Decadent; Rich; Gooey; Heaven!
It was another dark, miserable, day in Hong Kong. Into our second week of torrential rain, with over 100% humidity, the streets had turned to rivers and cicadas were dropping from the trees into my backyard like dead flies. My kitchen was dark, damp and muggy. We all needed cheering up! On went the oven, on went the air-con and suddenly everything was alright with the world once again…. isn’t it amazing how CHOCOLATE can lift the spirits!
I normally use a dark Valrhona chocolate with minimum 70% cocoa solids, which I buy by the kilo at Twins Co. (a bakery wholesaler in deepest Wanchai). I haven’t been over recently and I had totally run out due to the Easter time baking madness, that this time I used Green & Blacks (70% cocoa). If you do get chance to visit Twins Co you should take a cool bag and stock up on butter too, probably half the price of your local supermarket. The website is rubbish so here is the address, just get yourself down there and see for yourself.
Nigella Lawson Chocolate Brownies
Melt your butter and good quality chocolate in a thick based pan. Keep stirring and don’t overheat. Set aside and let cool whilst you prepare the rest of the ingredients. You can’t go wrong as long as you use the best quality chocolate you can get your hands on. I generally use 65% or 70% cacao. Green & Blacks, Lint or Valhrona are all excellent!
While your chocolate is cooling beat the sugar with the eggs and vanilla extract. Measure your flour and salt into another bowl and set aside.
Once the chocolate and butter has cooled slightly add to the beaten sugar and eggs and then sift in the flour, salt and nuts (if using).
Once your mixture is well combined, pour out into the prepared tin.
Bake for about 25-35 minutes depending on how gooey you like them. Mine always take longer than 25 minutes and still come out exceptionally gooey. For the last 5 minutes of baking I’m there with a wooden or metal skewer testing until I think the correct amount of gooey has been achieved.
When cooked the top should have a dry, pale crust, but the middle should still be slightly gooey. The mixture carries on cooking once out the oven so I err on the side of caution and remove earlier rather than later. A gooey chocolate brownie is always better received than a dry, overcooked, chocolate brownie. The goo will set once refrigerated, so my kids like to zap them in the microwave for ten seconds before eating after dinner.
Cut into small bite sized squares. They are very rich, so one or two squares is quite enough for one serving!
This Nigella Lawson Chocolate Brownies recipe yields 48 brownies but the most I’d managed until now is 40. However, I just found out if you cut really, really small, you can get 70 little squares, which is ideal if you’re going on a picnic and have many little and big mouths to please!
This recipe was recently updated with some fabulous shots taken by my friend Phil at Salt Photography and I experimented by throwing in a bag of maltesers on this bake.
If you try this recipe, let me know what you think! Leave a comment, you can even rate the recipe and don’t forget to tag your pictures #gillianskitchendotcom on Instagram so I can see your creations. Thank you!
gx
P.S. Don’t forget to pin this recipe to Pinterest by clicking the image below!
Nigella Lawson Chocolate Brownies
Nigella Lawson Chocolate Brownies are probably the only brownie recipe you will ever need.
- 375 g soft unsalted butter
- 375 g good quality dark chocolate I usually use Valrohna but this time it was green & blacks
- 6 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 500 g caster sugar
- 225 g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 300 g chopped walnuts optional
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Prepare a tin measuring 33 x 23 x 5.5 cm and line with foil
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Preheat oven to 180C/gas mark 4.
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Melt the butter and chocolate together in a large heavy-based pan. Don't overheat or the chocolate can become grainy.
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When the chocolate and butter has melted take off the heat and let cool a while.
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Meanwhile beat the eggs and sugar in the mixer or by hand.
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Measure out your flour, add the salt and set aside.
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Once your chocolate mixture has cooled, pour it into the beaten eggs, sugar and vanilla extract mix. Beat again until well combined.
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Sift in the flour, if using, and beat until combined.
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If you are adding nuts then do so now.
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Scrape out into your prepared tin and bake for about 25-30 minutes. When cooked the top should have a dry, pale crust, but the middle should still be nice and gooey. Bake for longer or less depending on desired gooeyness desired.
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Remember that brownies will carry on cooking once removed from the oven. I always take mine out when an inserted skewer comes out a little sticky.
Recipe take from my much loved Nigella's "How To Be A Domestic Goddess"
Nutritional data for this recipe was calculated using Self NutrionData.self.com and values represent inclusion of the walnuts.
Nigella’s Chocolate Brownies Nutritional Target M
Nigella’s Chocolate Brownies Caloric Ratio Pyramid
These brownies are probably the BEST that I’ve ever had in a long while. Very scrummy and incredibly more-ish!!
Thank you Ceda, glad you like them so much 🙂
Amazing brownies Gillian! Made these for my kids and they loved them! I am personally on a juice cleanse to allow my to tap into my inner chi – but they definitely looked great,
These brownies look so, so delicious!!
Thank you so much Bethany. 🙂
Can’t wait to try! Would these freeze do you think?
Hi Kate,
They freeze perfectly well. I always freeze half and put them in packed lunches in the morning and by lunch time they are just ready to eat. 🙂
Hi Gillian, They look fab ! Good to know they freeze well. How long would they keep if not frozen ? and could I add other foods instead of walnuts such as chocalate orange or mint chocolate , maltesers or swirls of fudge sauce etc ??
Hi Jenny, Sorry for the late reply, I’ve been busy moving house and not been able to keep up with my blog recently. If not frozen they keep quite well in the fridge, ideally no more than a week. I don’t add walnuts to mine either but you could add choc chips or other things instead to be creative. Would be yummy. 🙂 g
Fantastic recipe but my brownies fell a bit. Any idea? I followed directions exactly!
Hi Rebecca, sorry to hear your brownies fell a bit. Wonder if you opened the oven too soon of it temperature wasn’t quite even? Did you get the cracked top appearance symbolic to a brownie? I bet they tasted good anyway. g 🙂
This certainly is the best brownie recipe! My friend first made it as a dessert and then I have made it a couple of times as desserts for dinner parties. Everyone loves it!
Hi Alice, I’m glad you agree. They do make great desserts as they are so rich they should be strictly for adults only! g 🙂
These really are the best chocolate brownies, a hit every time I make them! What makes them even better is the foolproof recipe, you can’t go wrong. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Ebere 🙂
Can you possibly change amounts to US measurements ? I’d love to try this. Also the size pan ? Was it a cookie sheet or a 9×13 pan ? please email me directly
What size of tin do you use? It seems a massive quantity. I’ve had to use 2 Swiss roll tins. I’m hoping they turn out ok even if thinner than it’s supposed to be. Watching the oven like a hawk.
Thanks for the recipe. How many degrees should I put a fan oven on?
what make of tin do you use can not find one deep enough and are these inner measurements? Margaret
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