One of life’s simple pleasures is biting into a warm, gooey fudge brownie with a glass of cold milk on standby. It’s the perfect way to end a meal or the ideal mid-afternoon pick-me-up.
However, while there are many brownie recipes out there, to get the perfect brownie, there are some trade secrets you can use. By adding a few ingredients and tweaking your classic brownie recipe, you can come up with a dessert that leaves you craving more.
So, how do you make brownies that are baked to perfection? Check out these tips and take your brownie recipe to the next level.
Choose Your Ingredients Wisely
Whether you’re baking brownies to give as a gift or you’re simply whipping them up for you and your family to enjoy, it’s important to choose your ingredients wisely. The caliber of the ingredients you choose will have a major effect on the taste of the brownie.
For starters, you should always select high-quality cocoa powder and chocolate. The higher-quality these products are, the richer and more intense their flavor will be. Be sure to research the best chocolate that you can find to make sure your brownies taste great.
On top of that, make sure you choose good quality vanilla and butter.
Each ingredient will affect the taste of your brownies, so the better the ingredients the better the brownie will be. Don’t be afraid to spend a little more on ingredients to ensure you get a great bake.
Make Smart Substitutions
If you’re planning to make brownies to share with someone who has a food allergy or sensitivity, you might need to make some substitutions.
This is especially true if you’re planning to give brownies as gifts and aren’t sure about the food tolerances of the recipient.
In these situations, you can substitute eggs with greek yogurt or with hung curd. This will help eliminate any egg allergies. Plus, you can use dairy-free greek yogurt for people who are vegan or who have sensitivities to dairy products.
Make sure that you use enough yogurt to make the brownies gooey.
Eggs typically make the brownies rise while keeping them fudgy. If you don’t get the substitution ratios right your brownies could turn out dry and cakey.
Beat, Beat and Keep Beating
Beating your eggs correctly is one of the most important steps when creating a moist brownie. It’s important to beat the eggs and the sugar together well.
To help you get the eggs whisked to perfection, we recommend using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand-held electric mixer with beaters. A whisk works too, but it will require a lot more energy to get the air into the mixture properly.
Sift the Dry Ingredients
Have you ever read a recipe that says to sift the dry ingredients and thought “that’s unnecessary?” If so, you’re making a big mistake. Sifting the dry ingredients is an extremely important step in baking because it aerates the ingredients and breaks up any large lumps.
When you sift cocoa powder and flour, it helps to properly combine the ingredients. This makes the batter more even once you add in the wet ingredients. Plus, it removes the lumps so that it’s easier to get a smooth batter once you add your eggs and other wet ingredients.
Get Your Bake Time Right
Part of whipping up perfect brownies is perfecting your bake time. You need to make sure that you don’t over or underbake your brownies because that can really make or break the final product!
Always follow the baking time of your recipe and bake the brownies until they’re completely done. While many people are tempted to use the toothpick test, this doesn’t really work for brownies because you want to get a gooey, fudgy consistency as opposed to something dry.
For brownies, we recommend baking them for 28-30 minutes at a temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a standard bake time and temperature, but if your recipe tells you otherwise, make sure to stick to the instructions!
Chill Out
We all know how tempting it is to dig into your brownies the moment they’re out of the oven. However, while the temptation is certainly there, patience is a virtue when it comes to baking brownies.
Make sure to let your brownies cool for roughly 10-15 minutes before you remove them from the pan. If you take them out of the pan too early, they can crumble rather than maintain that soft texture we all know and love.
We recommend staying strong and resisting the urge to sample your brownies right away. After just 10 minutes, the brownies should have solidified enough to deliver that melt-in-your-mouth texture that only brownies have. Top them with some vanilla ice cream and enjoy the heavenly experience!
Tweak Your Brownie Recipes to Perfection
With these tips, you’ll be able to make any brownie recipes you try the best you’ve ever tasted. It’s time to start enjoying delectable brownies that leave your mouth watering and your tastebuds begging for another bite.
Speaking of delicious brownies, if you want to brighten someone’s day with tasty brownies and don’t have time to bake, you can give a unique gift from Greyston Bakery! Place an order and surprise your friends, boss, or family members with a sweet treat, or, treat yourself!