If you think brownies require butter, think again, this one-bowl olive-oil brownie is a shockingly fudgy, slightly salty revelation you’ll want to bake nonstop.
I didn’t mean to vanish for so long. In early October I was finishing a cake that used 2.5 pounds of apples (excellent if, like me, you find it impossible to resist orchard excess), and then the world changed and food slipped to the back of my mind. By the time I re-emerged it was November and I’d spent much of the month on a small book tour with hardly any quiet moments. I’ve been craving my sofa, a calm hour, and a window to watch the remaining gold leaves — and now I’m finally back to share things here. Life gets busy, schedules derail, but I always return to this space: I enjoy being here and hanging out with you, and after 17 years that hasn’t changed. The longer I’m away, the better the backlog — December is shaping up to be delicious.
It wasn’t all bad news: I became an aunt for the first time to the sweetest little sunbeam. She arrived two weeks before my sister-in-law and I had a chance to stock the freezer with meals, but I’ve been catching up by developing family-sized, one-pot recipes to bring on weekend visits — like a pot roast that’s almost all vegetables alongside the meat (which certainly counts as a workout when you carry it inside). There’s a chicken and barley stew on the way that’s as cosy as it gets. Meanwhile, since dairy is temporarily off the menu in my house, I’ve been experimenting with an olive oil brownie I can’t wait to share.
Ingredient | Imperial | Metric | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Unsweetened chocolate, chopped | 4 oz | 115 g | — |
Olive oil, mild-flavored | 10 tbsp | 130 g | — |
Granulated sugar | 1 3/4 cups | 345 g | — |
Unsweetened cocoa powder | 1/4 cup | 20 g | — |
Kosher salt | 1/2 tsp | — | — |
Large eggs | 3 | — | — |
Vanilla extract | 1 tbsp | 15 g | — |
All-purpose flour | 2/3 cup | 85 g | — |
Flaky salt | Pinches | — | For finishing |
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper with the edges extending up the sides; spray any exposed corners or sides with nonstick spray so the brownies release cleanly.
Place the chopped chocolate and the olive oil in a large heatproof bowl and melt them most of the way together over a pot of gently simmering water, or use 30-second bursts in the microwave. Remove from heat and stir until completely smooth. Whisk in the granulated sugar, cocoa powder, and salt until everything is blended. Then whisk in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
Fold in the flour until just combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it evenly. Scatter a light sprinkle of flaky salt over the top. Bake 30–34 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out free of wet batter.
Move the pan to a rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Use the parchment overhang to lift the brownies from the pan onto the rack and let them cool another 10 minutes if you can stand it; then cut into 16 squares. Oddly, a disposable plastic knife often gives the cleanest cuts — even when the brownies are still a little warm.
Leftover brownies are great chilled — I store them in the fridge to keep them extra fudgy. They also freeze well, tightly wrapped in an airtight container for at least a month.
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