Nigella: At My Table airs Saturdays at 10:30 am. 

Sometimes you just really need a fresh, warm brownie, as soon as possible. Luckily, Nigella Lawson has developed a small-batch recipe for those emergency cravings that uses ingredients you're likely to have around if you bake, and it only takes around half an hour to make – though you do have to wait for the brownies to cool.

Not that you need an excuse to make brownies, especially when you can make such a reasonably sized batch, but July 28 is Milk Chocolate Day. Just sayin'.

Emergency Brownies

This is for those times you urgently need a brownie, but don't want to make – or, rather, can't justify making – a whole batch. This recipe makes two (four if needs be) fudgy brownies to be snaffled straight from the pan. And they can be turned into glorious sundaes: squodge into glasses with ice cream, pour a little maple syrup over, and sprinkle with chopped walnuts. It is worth keeping takeout aluminum foil pans in the house just to make these. Take my word for it, it will be a frequent occurence.

Makes 2 generous squares or 4 more modest rectangles

Ingredients

3 tbsp soft, unsalted butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tbsp maple or light corn syrup
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp or 1/8 tsp fine sea salt (depending on how salty you like your chocolate)
1 large, room temperature egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/4 cup dark or milk (up to you) chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Put the butter, sugar, and maple or light corn syrup into a small heavy-based saucepan and gently warm, stirring once or twice, until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat.

2. Fork together the flour, cocoa, and salt to mix, then beat into the butter and sugar pan with a wooden spoon or spatula until smoothly combined.

3. Whisk the egg with the vanilla – just casually, by hand – then stir into the pan, giving a final little whisk, if needed, to make sure everything's mixed together thoroughly before folding in the nuts and chocolate chips. Pour and scrape this nubbly brownie batter into an aluminum foil pan measuring approx. 7x4x2 inches. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until it is beginning to come away at the sides and the top has dried a little just around the edges.

4. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool – but not completely. I leave them for 20-30 minutes (and that's difficult enough) so that my first bite gets them when still warm, but just set enough to cut into 2 squidgy squares. If your need is not so great, or you want them to go further, cut each square in half again.