How to make the best ever brownies

Hello everyone! The weekend is just around the corner, and for many of us that means more time to bake.

One of my absolute favourite things to bake is brownies, and even better: fudge brownies.  My daughter loves brownies so much she’d prefer one whole batch to herself.

Not too long ago we decided to make fudge brownies with vanilla ice cream, topped with homemade caramel sauce…

The perfect combination…

… and the perfect weekend treat.

But how do you acheive the perfect brownie, with that shiny, flaky surface?

And how do you make a Brownie extra fudgy?.

And what are the common mistakes people do when they end up with cake instead of brownies?

Here is my advice to help you on the way to the perfect batch of brownies:

• For a more chewy brownie: use brown sugar instead of regular white, as in this recipe.
• For a richer chocolate flavor: use cocoa powder instead of chocolate, as in this recipe. I highly recommend Valrhona cocoa powder.
• For a more cakey brownie, add one extra egg and a bit more flour to the batter.
• Fudge brownies contain more chocolate and butter compared to cakey brownies.
• To get that shiny surface: add the sugar to the still warm chocolate and butter mixture. It’s this process of heating the sugar which makes the top of the brownies nice and shiny after baking. Also, never stir more than necessary after adding the eggs, same thing with the flour/dry ingredients.
• People often ask me how I get perfectly cut sides. I always put the cooled brownies in the refrigerator for a few hours before cutting, especially when I make fudge brownies. Alternatively put them in the freezer for 30 minutes. It’s so much easier to cut neat squares when the cake is completely cold.

Gluten free brownies are easily made by omitting the flour (gluten free brownies pictured below), you can find the recipe here.

Alternatively use rice flour or almond flour instead of the regular flour. I prefer using rice flour with a tablespoonful of corn starch mixed in, just sift it into the batter.

I think this rice flour from Risenta creates the best result.

Here are some of the brownie recipes you can find on passionforbaking.com:

• Glutenfree brownies, recipe here.

• Manuela’s Favorite Brownies, recipe here.

Brownies made with cocoa powder, recipe here.

I hope you feel a bit more confident about baking brownies now, I wish you the best of luck – and happy baking!

Have a nice weekend everyone, hugs form me to you.