Making Brownies

Part cookie, part cake, brownies are one of the best loved of all baked goods. To help brownies stay moist longer, just let them cool completely before cutting. When cut too soon, brownies will release their moisture in the form of steam and dry out more quickly.

When baking, you can check for doneness by starting to check 5 to 10 minutes before they are scheduled to be done. Do not insert a toothpick in the center of the brownies. Instead, insert it halfway between the center and the edge. If the brownies are done, the toothpick should come out clean. With some recipes, though, especially for fudgy brownies, you might want some moist crumbs adhering to the toothpick. Underdone brownies are always better than overdone brownies. If your brownies do come out a bit underdone, place them in the refrigerator to firm up.

When slicing, cool the brownies completely first. Then, if you have removed the entire pan of cooked brownies from the pan, use a pizza cutter or thin-bladed knife. Frozen brownies taste good too. Cut up cooled brownies into small squares and freeze solid on a baking sheet. Transfer to a zipper-lock freezer bag and store in the freezer. These frozen treats are especially satisfying during hot summer months.

To easily remove brownies from the pan, lay a strip of heavy-duty aluminum foil (or a double layer of standard foil) across the pan before adding the batter. The strip should be wide enough to cover the base of the pan and long enough on each end to fold over the pan’s edge. This creates a sling so that once the brownies have cooled, you can lift the entire pan out by grabbing each end of the foil. This also avoids wasting any precious brownies and makes the pan much easier to clean.

If the brownies are overcooked and dry, they could still be save. Soak in hot chocolate or hot fudge for 10 minutes before serving and top with ice cream or whipped cream. On the other hand, slightly stale brownies can also be revived. Place a colander over boiling water and steam until softened through.

Light textured brownies can be made by increasing the number of eggs and beat the batter until it forms a flat ribbon, falling back on itself when the beater is lifted. Or increase the amount of leavener. If a firm textured brownies are desired, use fewer eggs and beat lightly. Brownies with an ultra-smooth texture is made with cake flour instead of all-purpose flour.

If you are health concious and need to reduce the fat in brownies, replace up to one-fourth of the fat with an equal amount of a liquid sweetener such as honey, corn syrup, chocolate syrup, molasses, or fruit jam. For example, in a recipe with 1/2 cup butter, use 6 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons liquid sweetener. Or, use half the amount of fat called for and add half that amount of drained, unsweetened applesauce.  For example, to replace 1 cup butter, use 1/2 cup butter and 1/4 cup applesauce. Or, replace each ounce of solid chocolate with 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder. For each ounce replaced, add 1/8 teaspoon instant coffee or espresso powder to deepen the flavor.