I’ve been selling my brownies for over a decade and I’m going to share some of my tips so you too can create incredible brownies in your own kitchen.
I used to sell other bakes as well as brownies and I traded under a different name at first. However, my brownies quickly became the first items to sell out and so my range grew. At the same time, I was increasingly being referred to as The Brownie Lady by my gorgeous customers, so I took the name and ran with it!
1 – Get yourself a great recipe!
This is the most important place to start as a duff recipe is never going to give you fabulous brownies. What makes a great brownie recipe? For me it’s a recipe that uses dark chocolate as a base. Choose a chocolate that contains over 50% cocoa solids. I don’t like cocoa in my brownie recipe, it’s not necessary if you’re using good chocolate. You can increase the chocolatey goodness in your brownies by using a chocolate with a higher percentage of cocoa solids, which I find gives a superior taste and texture compared to the addition of cocoa which can be drying.
Sometimes a recipe will call for the addition of bakestable chocolate chips or chunks, but what is bakestable chocolate? It’s a specially formulated chocolate that contains less cocoa butter, which means it can be baked at temperatures up to 200°C without melting. Perfect for my triple chocolate brownies!
2 – Use the correct sized baking tin.
This is one of the most common mistakes in baking, and often results in a disappointing bake. If you use a tin that is too big, your bake will be too shallow. While that might not seem like a disaster, it’s more likely to cook much faster than the recipe states and will dry out. If your tin is too small, your bake will be deeper which will take much longer to cook and you risk the edges burning before the centre has cooked through. A great tip to compare the capacity of two tins is to fill one with water, then tip the water into the second tin. Does the water overflow? Does it only half fill the tin? This is a good indicator of how your bake will turn out if you use a different sized tin.
3 – Line your tin with baking parchment paper.
I use baking parchment for all my bakes. It’s strong, it’s non-stick and I know it will be easy to remove from my bakes. Bonus tip – when you’re removing it from the bottom of a cake, do it in strips, especially when you’ve baked a lovely delicate sponge or roulade. When your cake is upside down in front of you on the cooling rack with the paper side facing up, it’s tempting to pull the paper off with a flourish, however it’s all too easy to pull a bit of your cake away with the paper. Gently tear or cut into one side of the paper 4 – 5 times, then gently pull each strip of paper across the cake to remove, one at a time. It takes a tiny bit of extra time, but it will ensure your beautiful cake is unscathed by enthusiasm! We’ve all made that mistake, regrettably.
4 – Don’t whisk air into your brownies.
I see this on recipes all the time and it’s totally unnecessary. A brownie is not to be compared to a sponge cake. Its dense, damp texture is it’s beauty. No raising agents required, no whisking necessary. Just a good mix together until your ingredients are well combined. Trust me.
5 – Use good ingredients.
I use a pricy Belgian chocolate to bake my brownies but you don’t need to. You can bake a very good brownie with a cheaper eating chocolate from the confectionary aisle of any supermarket. At long as it contains a minimum of 50% cocoa solids you’ll bake a good brownie. Do check the ingredients on the chocolate though as some dark chocolate bars contain nut paste. They say you should only cook with wine that you’d be happy to drink by the glass and I think that’s the perfect way to choose your chocolate for baking too! I use free range eggs in my brownies. You can buy a box of 15 mixed size free range eggs in most shops now and these offer great value for money. I use block butter in my brownies, no spreads as these are too soft and are best used for cakes as they lend themselves to a lighter sponge.
6 – Bake low and slow.
I bake all my brownies at 150°C – 160°C in my fan oven. They typically bake for between 35 – 60 minutes. I have a succession of timers so I can check their progress and I check them without opening the oven door. Every time you open the door you’re cooling the temperature inside the oven and slowing your baking down. How do you know when your brownies are done? The brownie will crack around the edges as it finishes baking – this is a good sign. The centre of the brownie will have risen to a slight dome and the top will appear shiny and dry – as the brownie cools and shrinks the signature papery top will separate from the brownie beneath. Take your brownie out of the oven at this stage and leave it to cool in the tin. Remember, you’re not baking a cake so don’t put a skewer into the centre of the brownie to see if it’s baked. When you take your brownie out of the oven the centre should be wobbly – if you were to dunk a spoon into it at this stage it would be runny in the centre. The magic happens as the brownie cools and firms up for that perfect texture.
7 – Leave your brownies to cool as long as you can!
This is such an important step in baking your brownies. If you can, leave your brownies to cool in their tin overnight. Once the brownies have cooled to room temperature, pop the tin into an airtight container and put it out of sight. It’ll be worth the wait.
8 – Chill your brownies if you’re pushed for time.
Before you cut into your brownies you need them to be firm. If you can’t leave them alone overnight, once they’re cool enough you can pop them (still in their baking tray) into the fridge for a couple of hours. When the time comes to cut your brownies up – gently lift them by the baking paper out of the tin and feel the centre underneath with your fingertips. Does it feel firm? if it’s still soft, they’re not going to hold their shape fully as you cup them up, so leave them a little longer if you can.
9 – Store your leftovers carefully.
Once you’ve baked your glorious brownies, you don’t want them to spoil, so keep any leftovers in an airtight container in a cool dry place and enjoy within a week. You can freeze your brownies for up to three months too.
10 – Get creative!
Now you’ve baked some brilliant brownies, you can be adventurous. Add some of your favourite chocolate to your brownies before you bake them, or a handful of your favourite berries. Have you warmed your brownies before you eat them? Perfect with ice cream or cream for an unforgettable dessert. What about a brownie sundae? Fill a big glass with pieces of brownie, scoops of your favourite ice cream, chocolate chunks, fudge pieces and anything else you fancy!
Enjoy!
Abi – The Brownie Lady
