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Quick Question!!!

post #1 of 7
11/11/07 at 7:23pm
Thread Starter 
Ok so I've been making brownies a lot lately, just from like a patch, like betty crocker or w/e, just have to add eggs, water, oil

anyway, they seem to cook pretty fast, but the problem i have is that theyre SOFT when i take them out, really soft, i actually take them out a little early, then they get HARD a few minutes later, mainly around the edges

is there anyway to prevent this? I usually leave them in the oven after i turn it off, while the heat is going down

thanks for any help, i really appreciate it
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post #2 of 7
11/11/07 at 7:44pm
That's called "carryover cooking."

The heat that you've put into the food, especially dense, moist food, doesn't disappear when you take the food out of the oven. It keeps on cooking for a bit.

Example: If you keep your chocolate chip cookies in the oven until they're beautifully browned all over, you'll end up with crisp hokey pucks after they've cooled. Rather, you have to pull them when the edges start going golden and rely upon the carryover cooking to finish them off and leave them moist in the center.

Similarly, your brownies will continue to cook a bit after you've taken out of the oven, so take this into account and pull them BEFORE they reach the consistency that you're looking for.

Remember, good judgment comes from experience. Alas, experience comes from bad judgment.
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post #3 of 7
11/11/07 at 7:48pm
Thread Starter 
ok thanks so much for the help....

does it matter if i cut them when theyre hot or cooled down also?

thanks for the help
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post #4 of 7
11/11/07 at 10:27pm
Best to leave them till they cool. Like Castironchef says, they are still cooking when you take them out of the oven and it's best if you leave them alone to do their thing. Besides, they are easier to cut when they are cooled down. Less guey so the knife doesn't get gunked up.

The edges will always be a bit harder than the center. If you find it objectionable, just trim the edges before you cut the brownies.

Jock
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post #5 of 7
11/12/07 at 6:46am
This is a bit offtopic but is it possible to keep the brownies fromfrom hardening altogether?
Filippo Berrio
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post #6 of 7
11/12/07 at 7:08am
Castironchef - EXCELLENT qoute, and oh, so true :cool: Am thinking that might make a good sig .... crediting you, of course ;) Cheers !

I'd concur with Jock - brownies, by nature, will always be more "done" along the edges than in the center. Just trim the edges and all is well. (I used to love the crispy edges when I was a kid, but not so now that I'm baking for a living - I turn them out and trim before cutting the squares).
- shoemaker
Bakers - we make a lot of dough, but not so much money
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post #7 of 7
11/12/07 at 7:22am
I find that cutting the brownies with a plastic knife works well. Most of the time I bake my brownies on parchment, frost them, freeze for a bit, then they are easier to cut with perfect edges.
The plastic knife is for when they are still warm, not frozen.
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