Five Tips to Make Your Best Brownies Ever

Whether you like the edges or the middles, it’s highly likely you like brownies. A close cousin to the cookie and kin to a cake, they’re a deliciously gooey treat that’s a hit at any occasion. To make your best brownies ever, start your shopping with Domino® Sugar, then follow these five helpful hints:

1. Know Your Brownies

All brownies are not created equal, and one popular kind isn’t a true brownie at all. So before baking, decide which of the three main “brownie” types you’re after:

Cakelike Brownies

These are essentially little cakes, cut out from a larger cake. They usually contain a little less butter and a little more flour, plus a touch of baking powder to help them rise up nice and fluffy. Often, their butter is also creamed in with the sugar, which also helps to lighten the batter and help it rise.

Chewy Brownies

An extra egg or two, as well as the proper proportion of bakers chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate and cocoa powder for a perfectly fudgy flavor, makes these brownies more dense and decadent.

Blondies

Often considered a type of brownie, blondies are really more of a butterscotch bar. What they lack in chocolate, they make up for with a hint of molasses from Domino® Brown Sugar, often some crushed nuts and a distinctly cakelike texture. Blondies traditionally have no chocolate, but if you want to add a few chips we won’t judge.

2. Pick Your Pan

Be sure to use the pan specified in the recipe you choose. Going with a pan that’s too small can lead to the center of the brownies being uncooked or undercooked, while choosing one that’s too large can lead to the batter spreading out too much and the brownies being too thin and dry. Unless you’re going for Brownie Bark, that’s not ideal.

3. Butter + Chocolate + Heat

Many brownie recipes start with melting butter and chocolate together. This can be tricky unless you’re an experienced baker. One way to make it easier is to use a double-boiler or microwave. Just combine the butter and chocolate to be combined in the double boiler or microwave and heat on medium-low or at 50% power. Either way, be sure to stir the mixture every 20-30 seconds or so to make sure it heats evenly all the way through.

4. Don’t Overmix

You want all of the brownie ingredients combined to make a smooth batter, but be careful not to overmix them. Doing so can result in tough, overworked brownies. One way to avoid this is to let the unbaked batter rest in the pan for several hours or overnight in the refrigerator, which gives it time to “relax” before being baked. The next day, bake as instructed.

5. Store Them Safely

Once your brownies have cooled down to room temperature, cover the pan tightly in aluminum foil or transfer the brownies to a sealed container. Alternatively, brownies can be frozen but that may affect their texture. To avoid this problem with freezing, wrap each cut brownie in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil before placing them all together in an airtight freezer bag.