Old Fashioned Lunch Lady Brownies Recipe - Back for Seconds (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep brownies soft and chewy? ›

Using airtight wrappings (including using plastic wrap right against the brownies) is key to keeping your brownies fresh, whether you're keeping them at room temperature for short-term storage, or planning to freeze them so you can have a fresh brownie ready whenever you need it.

Lower the oven temperature: One possible reason for the uneven cooking is that your oven temperature is too high. Lowering the temperature can help ensure that the middle of the brownies cooks properly without burning the edges [1]. Reduce the baking time: Another factor to consider is the baking time.

If the brownies still look wet or aren't pulling away, they aren't done. Even fudgy brownies will pull from the edges once they've finished baking. You'll see that the edges look dry while the middle still looks soft or slightly wet. Chewy and cakey brownies will have dry edges with firmer-looking centers.

Microwave them, they'll usually soften up. If that doesn't work you could consider soaking the rock hard brownie in a strong warm sugar solution.

Storing Brownies in the Refrigerator

Unlike cookies or cakes that tend to dry out more quickly in the fridge than at room temperature, the fridge helps brownies to stay moist longer.

Fudgy brownies have a higher fat-to-flour ratio than cakey ones. So add more fat—in this case, butter and chocolate. A cakey batch has more flour and relies on baking powder for leavening. The amount of sugar and eggs does not change whether you're going fudgy or cakey.

Certain spots might be over-baked and hard, while others have barely set and are still liquidy. To combat these issues, rotate your brownie pan to ensure that every area of the batter gets equal heat — even in an oven with hot and cold spots.

If the middle of your brownies are not cooking while the edges are burning, try lowering the oven temperature and/or extending the baking time. You may also want to cover the pan with aluminum foil to prevent the edges from burning.

The brownies were not fully baked in the center when removed from oven, they were puffed up and would have stayed if baked longer. It fell as the temperature dropped. Over beating them allows air to get in the batter.

Most recipes call for baking brownies at 350°. If a fudgy inside and crackly top is your goal, stick with that temperature. Brownies baked at 325° will take longer to bake and will become chewier in texture.

Is it better to overcook or undercook brownies? ›

Brownies should be removed from the oven before the centre is fully cooked, as the brownies will continue to set as they cool and this gives the brownie its soft texture. You do not want the brownies to be raw in the centre when you remove them from the oven, but they should be slightly undercooked.

In brownies, both butter and oil will offer a moist, tender texture, but only butter will give the dish the aeration needed for rising brownies well. If you use a cake brownie, butter is a better option because it helps rise the batter. For denser, fudge type brownies, oil is permissable.

Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and bake the cut brownies for an additional 5-10 minutes. Keep a close eye on them to prevent over-baking, especially if they are already fully cooked before being cut.

Whether you use butter, margarine, or vegetable oil, putting too much in your brownie batter causes it to be greasy. Don't worry, you're not alone. Many people fall into this trap when trying to substitute butter with oil.

If the recipe you're using gives instructions for a specific cooling method, follow it and wait for your brownies to cool completely. If there aren't specific instructions, leave the brownies in the pan, put the pan on a rack and let them cool completely (which means a 2 to 3 hour wait).

To stop brownies from getting hard on the edges, the first thing to do is be sure they have a proper bake. Storing them in tightly wrapped plastic can also help avoid crunchy edges. You can also store them in a plastic storage container with a slice of bread to increase the moisture and soften the brownies.

Wait until your brownies have completely cooled to room temperature. As brownies cool, they will solidify and set up, so slicing into them too early can result in brownie squares that fall apart or become a mess very quickly.

Brownies will be easiest to remove from the pan when they are fully cooled, because they will be fully set and firm. If you want to be able to remove the brownies from the pan without cutting them first, you can line the pan with parchment paper, allowing it to hang over the sides of the pan.