Homemade brownies
Here's a quick fix for a boring day! Homemade fudge brownies never fail to tempt and bring delight. Today, I will tell you how you bake brownies in different ways for different brownie results. Some people prefer cake-like brownies, while other people prefer a more dense-like, rich, and fudgy brownie, while some people like their brownies to be either crispy around the edges, or chewy. Today, I will walk you through each step to teach you how to bake the perfect fudge brownie that you prefer.
Cake brownies
Ingredients:
¾ cup of cocoa powder
1-¼ cup of Splenda, or sugar
½ cup of all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon of salt
2 large eggs
¼ cup of canola oil
2 tablespoons of water
1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions:
Grease and lightly dust flour in a square baking pan; set aside. If you prefer thinner brownies, use a 9x13 inch pan.
In a bowl, add and mix the flour, Splenda (or sugar), salt, and cocoa powder together. Then add the eggs, water, pure vanilla extract (optional), and canola oil; mix well. I didn't break out my mixer for my batter, instead I used a big spoon and gave the batter a good fifty stirs.
If you want your brownies to turn out more dense and richer, beat your eggs separately, for a longer period, then add them in with the other ingredients. Mixing the batter longer also will result in a super crusty, shiny top crust.
Next, pour your batter into your prepared pan and bake your brownies in the oven for about twenty-two minutes.
Read below so you'll know which temperature that you'd prefer. Plus, continue reading to get the recipe for my fudgy brownies. The temperature matters just as much as the ingredients in regard to what type of brownies that you'll end up with.
Cooking your brownies at a higher temperature (375 degrees F) will make the outside edges kinda crispy and the center of the brownies will be more fudgy.
For fudgy brownies
Ingredients:
¾ cup of cocoa powder
1-¼ cup of Splenda, or sugar
½ cup of all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon of salt
3 large eggs
¼ cup of canola oil
2 tablespoons of milk
1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract (optional)
1 stick of melted butter equals 8 tablespoons, or ½ cup
6-ounces of chocolate chips, baking chocolate, or chocolate bark (6-ounces equals ¾ cups, or 12 tablespoons)
½ cup of almonds, or other nuts (to add on the top of the batter once it's poured into the prepared pan) (optional)
Instructions:
Grease and lightly dust flour in a square baking pan; set aside. If you prefer thinner brownies, use a 9x13 inch pan.
In a bowl, add and mix the flour, Splenda (or sugar), salt, and cocoa powder together. Then add the milk, pure vanilla extract (optional), and canola oil; mix well.
Melt the chocolate and butter together in a saucepan, or in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave. Slowly beat the buttery chocolate mixture into the flour mixture.
Next, add the eggs slowly, one at a time, while mixing. Adding the third egg in your batter here will not make cakey brownies, because you're adding the melted butter and chocolate into this recipe.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Add the almonds, or your preferred nuts on top of the brownie batter (before baking) so that there's at least one almond on each brownie. (This is optional.)
Bake in a 375 degrees F oven for about twenty-two minutes.
Notes:
If you prefer to have your brownies more cake-like consistency, bake at a lower temperature of 350 degrees F. You may also add in another egg if you prefer your brownies being even more cake-like. However, your brownies will not be as moist.
For nice moist brownies, don't over bake. When a toothpick is inserted, it will not come out completely clean and it should have bits of cooked brownie on it. If you don't have brownie crumbs on your toothpick, you have over-baked them. Keep in mind that you're baking brownies, not a cake. (When baking a cake, a toothpick should pull out clean (with nothing on it when doing the toothpick test). This isn't the case when baking brownies.)
Substitute milk instead of using water if you prefer a gooey brownie.
For a chewy brownie, add ½ cup of brown sugar and ¼ cup of melted butter when mixing your ingredients to either brownie recipe.
If you like extra crispy brownies with a more fudgy center, do this. After making the brownie batter, transfer the batter to the prepared pan and place it in the refrigerator for one hour. Then bake. (You can do this with either brownie recipe.)
The eggs are needed in these two brownie recipes; it makes the texture of the batter creamier; the eggs not only introduce more fat to the batter, but they also help the batter rise when baking. Adding an extra egg yolk will make the brownies richer in texture. As stated above, you may also add in an additional egg, if you prefer your brownies, being even more cake-like when making my cake brownie recipe.
Adding additional oil will also create a more fudge-like brownie. However, using too much oil or butter in brownies will make them greasy and oily. It will also keep them from rising like they should. My fudgy brownie recipe really doesn't need any extra oil added because it's really fudgy without any additional oil. However, an additional one to two tablespoons of oil can be added to my cake brownie recipe to create a more fudge-like texture.
If your brownies sink in the middle, you didn't bake them quite long enough. The edges of your brownies will have visible cracks at the top of them. This is completely normal. The center should also be set and not wiggle at all in the middle when you shake the pan. That's how you know that they are done without doing a toothpick test. Your brownies shouldn't be too runny, if they are, transfer the pan back into the oven.
Using a sharp chef's knife, cut your brownies. Then transfer them to an airtight container (while they are still lukewarm) to keep them moist. Using a serrated edge knife will make your brownies crumble.
Dust your brownies lightly with powdered sugar or cocoa powder to make them even more decadent.