Nigella brownies - URGENT HELP!

[MrFibble]

OK, I put the mix in at 18 minutes past at 180 degrees and it is still liquid in the middle! Should I take it out and hope it improves as it cools or cook for even longer? It's already been in for 20 minutes longer than the recipe states! Aaarrggghhh. And they are for a birthday this afternoon!

Is she using a fan oven and your oven isn't?

Which ones are these? The flourless?

These are the ones from domestic goddess i.e. with flour. No mention was made of fan oven but will go and check.

Oh I made a batch of her brownies. They were really heavy and made people sweat. Try Delia next time!!

Remember that brownies should have squidge and squodge and will continue cooking after they come out o' t' oven and should firm up.

Good luck!! Let me know how they come out...

I made those about 2 weeks ago - I ended up leaving them in my (non fan) over for twice as long as the recipe said. I had to keep checking them every few minutes to check they didn't turn out biscuity and then had to leave them for a very long time to cool but they turned out well - gooey and not dry.

OK, have taken them out. Wonder if I have time to get a Delia batch in the oven. Do you think I could make them with orange flavoured chocolate? But then they will probably be rejected by the children won't they? Aaarrgghhhh.

I think I will make a note in the book to cook them twice as long. How can these timings be so wrong? Ah well. I hope they are nice!

I've had the same problem with all Nigella's brownie recipes but never any of her other cakes. I wish I knew why!

Hum, perhaps this is a moment to ask about her Dense Chocolate Loaf which has never turned out the way it should. It always rises at the edge, burns along the top and collapses in the middle. Any experience of this and how to fix it?

Nigella's books are notorious for mistakes. See here for instance. Doesn't mention the brownies though.

Well, that explains my mousse cake disaster last year... May have to try again. Thanks for that.

They are meant to still be gooey in the middle. Generally, brownies set as they cool for that perfect brownie gooeyness. Liquid doesn't sound right though!

IIRC, SuzyWong's recipe mentions that is should look like a muddy puddle with cracks on teh top but still be wobbly.

I wasted a ton of Green & Blacks when I made Nigella brownies - they were a disaster (and I consider myself to be a fairly good baker). If for some reason I were to do them again, I think that I would split the mixture between 2 tins - but that's no use to you now!!

Um... I fear they might be a little too dry. I will report back after DS's party. I might quickly whip up an emergency back up chocolate sponge cake. I can freeze sponge if it doesn't get eaten can't I?

Because of this thread I am going to have to make

1. SuzyWong's brownies
2. Nigella's chocolate gingerbread
3. MarsLady's lemon drizzle cake.

[glare]

Ooooo. Lemon drizzle. Will that work with limes?

Not suitable for children though really?

Sorry Soupdragon.

you can freeze sponge cake or you could just cut any too dry bits off the brownies - kids love chocolate however it comes don't they? So they probably won't be being too picky I wouldn't've thought (or is it just mine that inhales chocolate without pausing for anything as inconvenient as breathing)

My children like lemon drizzle as it happens. However, they prefer it if you leave out the lemons and add 2 tablespoons of cocoa and come chocolate chips

I too had the brownie problem - I cooked them for twice the time and they were still gooey but they firmed up on cooling. They were tasty but I wouldn't make them again - too stressful

Ds loves lemon drizzle he ask's for it when we are baking.

interesting.............excellent link bamboo.
I had a massive hissy fit when trying to make that f*ing flapjack from the Nigella book.

I actually ended up smashing it up with the spatula and turned it into granola, whilst swearing a lot, because it just didn't stick together.

Yeah - the flapjacks . Even the birds eyed it with suspicion!

didn't taste too bad, did manage to eat most of it with a spoon!

this is the best flapjack recipe IMO.

using all butter though natch.

Noooo, you need a flapjack recipe with condensed milk in it. Fabulously gooey.

Have just chopped them up and put them on the plate topped with candles ready for the guests. I confess to sampling one and it is GORGEOUS! I have just scribbled on the book that they need twice the cooking time stated. Flapjack recipe duly noted.

Oooh, those brownies are gorgeous, but they do need to be cooked for at least double the time.

But you know that now