What is your idea of the perfect brownie? Maybe you’ve already found it, and maybe you’re still looking. Perhaps, one of these will end your search. Cookbook authors Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, of Brooklyn’s famed Baked Bakery, believe that brownies should not be “cakey,” but slightly fudgy – and never frosted. Bev Shaffer, author of “Brownies to die for: The Complete Guide for Brownie Lovers,” writes “I want deep, dense chocolate brownies – slightly underbaked so they melt on the tongue, and you can close your eyes when you eat them.” And, Renée Behnke, author of Memorable Recipes to Share with Family and Friends,” wrote of cream cheese-laden “Black and White Cocoa Bars,” “I loved them because they were light compared to so many brownies and bar cookies, so I could always eat two.” Whether you are looking to bake a small batch of brownies in an eight-inch square pan, or enough to feed a crowd from a recipe designed for a jellyroll pan, none of these brownies will disappoint. Before you get started, here are two brownie-baking tips to keep in mind. First, when measuring flour, if a recipe doesn’t specify otherwise, be sure to measure your flour by spooning it into a dry measuring cup, leveling the flour with the flat end of a knife. And, secondly, watch your brownies carefully near the end of the shortest bake time called for in the recipe. Brownies should never be overbaked.
Sue Ade is a syndicated food writer with broad experience and interest in the culinary arts. She has worked and resided in the Lowcountry of South Carolina since 1985 and may be reached at kitchenade@yahoo.com.
