Small Batch Brownies

These Small Batch Brownies are deliciously gooey and decadent. This recipe makes six large brownies so you can decide whether to share or eat them all yourself!

What to look for in a good brownie

There is a huge difference between a good brownie and an average brownie. A good brownie is slightly crisp on the outside with an unctuous, gooey chocolatey centre.

If your brownie isn’t gooey in the middle, you’ve ruined it. Sorry.  

Brownies are probably the baked good that I have been disappointed with the most over the years. I’ve bought them hoping for a delicious gooey brownie and been disappointed with what it essentially a chocolate cake.

Nigel Slater worded it perfectly in his original recipe, “Oh, and if you pull out your skewer and it comes out clean then I’m afraid you have blown it.”

He is quite right, What makes a brownie so delicious is its gooeyness so if you over bake it you have ruined it, as harsh as that sounds.

Why small batch brownies?

I know you will all be asking, if they’re so good why would I only want a small batch? Well there are a few reasons for this.

Sometimes you want a sweet treat, but don’t always want the temptation of eating a whole batch. If you bake as much as I do, eating a whole batch of brownies isn’t always ideal.

That is where these brownies will become your friend! Even if you do eat the whole batch, well at least it was a small one!

Another reason for creating this recipe was because you need very few ingredients to make these beauties. You will only need one egg and not much of the other ingredients which is a win win!

These Small Batch Brownies make six large brownies. It could easily be cut into smaller brownies to make them go further.

If you do want to make a full batch – check out my Chocolate Brownies with Cocoa.

Why use cocoa powder and chocolate?

The combination of cocoa powder and chocolate is essential in brownies.

Cocoa powder helps provide the delicious chewiness that is essential for the brownie’s crust. If you are a bit put off by using cocoa powder, try it and then make up your mind.

You can buy fancy cocoa powders these days but being completely honest, I use ones I can buy in the supermarket which are nothing too fancy.

If you’re stuck, you can use hot chocolate at a push, but I would use this as a last resort.

The chocolate is also needed as it provides the fudgy texture – again essential.

Which chocolate is best to use?

Traditionally brownies are made with good quality dark chocolate with a high percentage or cocoa solids.

I can sometimes find this too rich. So what I tend to do is use a mix of milk and dark chocolate. This still makes an incredibly gooey, rich brownie but it is more to my taste.

Whichever combination of chocolate you use, try to use a good quality chocolate as you will notice the difference.

DO these small batch brownies have to be gluten free?

No, you can easily make these brownies with standard plain flour.

I think brownies are a fantastic treat to make gluten free. This is because they use such little flour that you really can’t tell the difference between standard and gluten free brownies.

This means that no one is comprising on taste if you make them gluten free.

Resist the temptation and allow the brownies to cool in the tin

I know that when these Brownies come out of the oven all you will want to do is dive in.

But wait. Leave them to cool in the tin for at least 30 minutes. They really need this to settle down and relax.

If you try to take them out of the tin too soon there is the chance they will run slightly and not hold their shape.

It is common for them to sink slightly as they cool so don’t panic if this happens to yours.

Small Batch Brownie baking tips

When folding the ingredients in by hand, do this gently. It may take a few minutes to fully incorporate the ingredients to be patient and take your time.

When you add the melted chocolate to the brownie batter it will look a little odd. Do not panic, keep folding the chocolate in and it will look much more normal.

As I mentioned, you need a gooey middle in your brownies. To test this, use a cocktail stick. If the stick comes out coated in wet looking mix, put them back in the oven for a couple more minutes.

You are looking for the cocktail stick to have sticky looking crumbs. Remember the brownies will firm up slightly as they cool.

How long do they keep for?

Brownies keep quite well as far as bakes are concerned.

This is because they are deliciously moist and gooey which I always finds helps them keep fresh for longer.

Keep them in an airtight container for three to four days. After this they will still be edible but a little less gooey.

Other recipes you might like

• Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes
• Small Batch Vanilla Cupcakes
• Caramel Brownies
• Chocolate Orange Tray Bake
• Chocolate Chip Cookies

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