Help please: Mary Berry Chocolate Brownie recipe flopped, where did I go wrong?

[Pounamu]

Hi there,

Was wondering if someone could help me? Just made the Indulgent Chocolate and Walnut Brownie recipe from Mary Berry's Baking Bible, and it has flopped. I read the recipe carefully before starting and have now re-read it about 5 times trying to figure it out! It is quite burnt on the top, cooked properly around the outside edge, and completely uncooked in the middle (under the burnt top). I did do two things differently and am wondering if this has made a difference. DH absolutely hates coffee so I replaced the coffee with brandy, and although Mary said the chocolate needed to be 39% cocoa solids I used chocolate with closer to 50% solids, could this have done it?

I have been baking for years and have never had a recipe flop like this one. I thought maybe the oven was too hot but then this has never been a problem before, and I have baked loads in this oven. Oh and I double/triple checked the temperature when I realised what had happened

Any suggestions on where I could have gone wrong? Thanks for your help

I think it may have been the brandy, but was the dish it was in the exact measurements specified? If it was too deep, this could have caused the raw middle.

Blimey, am not sure. I use Mary Berry recipes all the time and they always work. I make her normal chocolate brownies and they are perfect every time.

I would say Mocking has a point about the dish...

I use a proper tray bake tin when doing brownies.