Brownies for my bunny

Question No. 1: Greetings, Chef Mom. My family loves brownies. They are our go-to dessert and snack for all occasions. I know brownies are one of the easiest things to make, but how come mine come out dry and crumbly? We want our brownies fudgy and moist.—Maricar Toledo of Valenzuela City.

Hi Maricar. Thank you for taking the time to write us your question. You are correct in saying that brownies are one of the easiest to bake. Having said that, there are still some matters to remember while making brownies to ensure the result would be perfect. For moist and fudgy brownies, the secret is to not overbake them. We just bake them until the sides are set while the center is still wet. The brownies will continue to bake outside the oven because of residual heat. Once completely cooled, the center will set without drying the sides, thus, the result is moist and fudgy brownies. When measuring the flour, be careful not to get more than what is needed in the recipe, for this will also result in dry, crumbly brownies. Do your measuring by weighing your ingredients to ensure accuracy.

Question No. 2: Kudos to the people behind The Market Monitor for coming up with a column that answers all our baking problems. This is definitely something that homemakers like myself need. My question for you, Chef Mom, is: How can I make my brownies look picture-perfect? My brownies come out uneven with raised sides, and the center looks collapsed.— Joyce Santos of Makati City

Thank you for your timely question, Joyce. Baking your brownies using a relatively small baking pan ensures that they are baked more evenly. A relatively small baking pan will have better control in terms of the rising or leavening of your brownies, as compared to a bigger pan, wherein the sides are the first to rise up, followed by the center toward the latter part of baking. The oven temperature should also be maintained at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for a uniform rising. Do not mix your brownie mixture too much to avoid too much incorporation of air, so your brownies do not puff up in the oven and end up dense and fudgy.

Question No. 3: Brownies are usually moist and dense. I want my brownies to be a little cakey and fluffy, but not dry. How do I make them like that? What should I do to make brownies stay that way longer?—Florence Go of Manila

For cakey, fluffy brownies, the incorporation of air is needed; you may use the electric mixer to do the job for you. Beat the eggs together with the fat called for in the recipe and sugar, before adding the rest of the ingredients. You may also want to brush your baked brownies with a little corn syrup to give them a nice sheen, so your brownies will not look dry and boring. Putting some toppings will also do the trick in making your brownies more appealing.

Question No. 4: I plan to sell my brownies the next time I bake them. Is there a trick to ensure that I slice my brownies perfectly without crumbs falling? What is the proper technique to slice brownies?—Yancy Madrigal of Quezon City

Hi Yancy. If your brownies are the moist, fudgy type, you may refrigerate them first to make them hard enough to be sliced neatly. Slicing them upside-down will also prevent crumbs from falling, since you are slicing from the bottom, but serve or pack the brownies right side up. A thin-blade knife will also be beneficial for this purpose. For cakey brownies, use a serrated knife with a thin blade. Never slice freshly baked brownies; better slice them the following day.

Baking is therapeutic. It is something kids and adults alike will enjoy doing together. For baking queries, send an e-mail at chefmom.tmm@gmail.com.