Mug Brownie
A fudgy brownie for one, mixed in a mug and microwaved for 60 seconds with a molten chocolate centre.
Photograph credit: Brownie on dish in front of mug by Barbara M. · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Where This Goes Wrong
Stop cooking while the centre is still soft.
Use only the yolk for a fudgy texture.
Eat it warm.
How to Make Mug Brownie
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Put the chocolate and butter in a large mug and microwave for 20 seconds. Stir until smooth.
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Stir in the sugar and egg yolk until glossy.
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Add the flour, cocoa and salt and mix until smooth.
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Microwave on high for 45 seconds, then check: it should be set at the edges with a soft middle. Add 10 seconds if needed.
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Stand for 1 minute and top with the ice cream.
Why the Method Works
A brownie for one in a minute is a dangerous thing to know about. The recipe takes advantage of the microwave's fast heat to set the outside while leaving a molten centre, so that you get a warm, fudgy, spoonable brownie in the time it takes to boil a kettle. It is much closer to a pudding than to a tray bake.
The base is melted butter and chocolate, which gives it its fudgy richness, with a touch of flour for structure and cocoa for depth. Melt a square of dark chocolate with a spoonful of butter in the mug for 20 seconds, stir until smooth, then add sugar, an egg yolk, and a pinch of salt. The yolk makes it rich and dense, and there is no white to make it springy.
Cook for 45 to 60 seconds and no more. The mixture will look wet in the middle and just set around the edges, and this is correct. It sets further as it stands. If you cook until it appears firm, it will be dry and rubbery by the time you take the first bite.
Let the mug stand for 1 minute, then eat straight from it. A scoop of ice cream on top melts into the warm brownie, and a pinch of flaky salt makes the chocolate taste even deeper. Wash the mug immediately.
After You've Cooked It
Best eaten at once.
Serving Mug Brownie
- Vanilla ice cream
- Whipped cream
- Fresh raspberries
- Coffee
What's in a Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked.
First published ; last changed .
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