Grab For Eats Whether it is a birthday party or a family program, brownies are always a must-go dish on all types of occasions. You can bring a smile to the face of every guest if you succeed to bake a soft-edged creamy brownie. But if things go south, the whole taste of the brownie will be spoiled. So, it is important to know how to keep brownies from getting hard around the edges.
The edges of brownies may get hard for various reasons. This scenario results in an imperfection of taste and an uneven cook. To keep the flavor and quality of your brownie intact, we have summed up some detailed information that can help you to get rid of hardened brownie edges.
Why Are My Brownies Hard?
The main reasons for getting a hardened brownie layer are uneven cooking, improper batter mixture, storing inappropriately, etc. We often see that, when cakes or brownies are taken out of the oven, they look extremely tasty with a delicious fragrance. But the brownie edges are found to be hard sometimes.
It happens due to some silly mistakes and carelessness while baking the brownie. So, let’s talk about some of the major reasons which may result in getting a hardened brownie edge:
Uneven Cooking:
The edges of the brownie remain hard for uneven heat distribution while baking. Maximum times, we overcook the brownie to make it more golden. But it results in sideburns and an unbaked middle part.
Temperature issue:
Setting a perfect temperature in the oven is one of the main factors in baking a brownie perfectly. If the temperature is set too high, the brownie will not have an evenly baked surface. Again, if the temperature is too low, then the sides will burn easily.
Imperfect batter:
If the ingredients of the batter are not measured correctly before baking, the brownie may become hard. Insufficiency of wet ingredients like milk, eggs, flour dough, etc. burns the outer surface too much.
Improper Storing and Serving:
If you store a baked hot brownie in the refrigerator that just came out from the oven, then the sides will crumble in a sudden change of the temperature. Again, if you cut and serve the brownie instantly after baking, heat transfer will result in an uneven brownie surface.
These are the mistakes we often make while baking brownies that result in the hardening of edges and uneven cooking.
How to Utilize Hard Brownies?
It won’t be a smart move if you waste the hard brownie that you made by mistake. Using it as toppings, milkshakes, ice cream, etc. will be way more delicious than just throwing them. Although hard brownie is not preferred by anyone, it can be used as a very crunchy and delightful food factor to enhance the taste.
So, let us find out some of the amazing ways of utilizing burnt brownies rather than wasting them:
Milkshake:
Hard brownies are full of chocolaty flavor with a burnt and sweet texture. It can be processed in a blender along with a milkshake to add a yummy flavor and color. Besides, bites of chocolate brownie will strengthen the overall taste of the milkshake greatly.
Ice-cream chips:
Crumbling the leftover hard part of the brownie can be used as a delicious additive with the ice cream. Besides, it can be used as toppings as a chocolate chip to enhance the flavor of the ice cream. Apart from this, you can even make ice cream at home by blending the hard brownie along with some whipped cream and caramel sauce.
Dessert toppings:
If the brownie gets too hard, break them into small pieces and grind them. After that, you can get a finely crumbled brownie that can be served as a topping on all types of desserts. Besides, hard brownies can be served as a base for fruit trifles to make them more attractive and yummier.
Rather than wasting the burnt or hard brownies, it will be much better if you use them as a taste booster. But you have to make sure that the edges aren’t burnt too much before applying to other foods.
How to Make Dry Brownies Moist?
You can soften your brownie easily by adding pieces of bread, reheating after cutting, applying wax paper, etc. Though burnt brownies are not desired, they can be softened in many ways. If you are also facing similar problems regarding hard brownies, then the methods mentioned below can help you greatly to make your brownies moist:
Adding bread slices:
It is one of the most effective techniques for making hard brownies moist. First of all, you have to make small square-sized brownies by cutting them. Then place slices of white bread on top of the brownie pieces.
After that, place them in an air-tight container and let them rest overnight. You can see that the brownie became moist and soft in the morning. It occurs due to the suction of moisture by the hard brownie from the white bread.
Applying Wax Paper:
For this method, you will need an air-tight plastic container. First, cut the brownies similar to the previous method and place them on wax paper. Then place them in the container one by one and cover with another wax paper.
Seal the container and make it airtight to rest for 24 hours. The next day you will see that the sides of the brownie became soft and moist. The wax papers take out the excessive burnt parts from the side of the brownie.
Reheating in Oven:
If you find that your brownies are hard right after taking them out from the oven then don’t worry. Place the brownie in a new baking pan with parchment paper on the bottom. After they cut the edges and make sure there remains enough space between the pan and edges of the brownie.
Then cover with another sheet of paper and bake the brownie again under 300 F for a couple of minutes. Then take out the brownie and wait for a few minutes to cool it. You can see a soft brownie after cutting with a moist texture on the top.
Microwave Method:
Storing brownies in the refrigerator for cooling makes them even harder. In this case, microwave the brownie by wrapping them with a paper towel to regain the moist texture.
These are some of the effortless techniques to make hard brownies moist in no time.
How to Prevent Brownies From Getting Hard?
There are various ways to eliminate hardness on the brownie edges like proper storing, baking, serving, etc. Here are some of the ways that can be followed to prepare a perfect brownie without hard edges:
- Brownies should not be stored in the refrigerator as it dries the outer moist and freezes the creamy layer. It ultimately results in a dry and hard-edged brownie afterward.
- Make sure to not overcook your brownie. Rather keep it under baked to get a warm, soft, and moist outer layer.
- Before cutting the brownies, let them cool for some time when brought just from the oven. Otherwise, the creamy toppings may be hardened due to insufficient heat transfer.
Summary
What else can be frustrating than cooking a hard-edged brownie after so much effort? But from now on, anyone can bake a perfect brownie eliminating all types of hardness on the edges and the upper part. Apart from this, burnt brownies can also be used as many dish toppings that reduce wastage. So, you can have a delicious brownie experience every time you bake them at home.
