Baking Brownies | Ask Nigella.com (2024)

FAQs

How long do nigella brownies last? ›

Nigella's classic Brownies (from HOW TO BE A DOMESTIC GODDESS) are moist and squidgy and should keep well in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

While cookies and cakes typically rely on baking powder as leavening, brownies require less leavening and can be made with baking soda in place of baking powder. Choose a recipe that relies solely on baking soda or create your own substitute for baking powder by combining baking soda and other ingredients.

Brownie textures fall into three general camps… Cakey, fudgy and chewy. Cakey brownies, like the name implies, are light, moist and airy, with a slightly fluffy, cake-like interior. Fudgy brownies are moist, dense and gooey, with almost the texture of fudge, but not quite as compact.

Airtight Containers

Use parchment paper to layer brownies into an airtight container for best results. Tip: When storing brownies in an airtight container, add a slice of bread in with them. The moisture from the bread will help keep your brownies fresh and soft for a couple more days.

You can keep brownies in the fridge for up to one week on average. You might want to do this if you add sour cream, cream cheese, or any other perishable ingredients. Store brownies in the freezer for up to 3 months, wrapped in aluminum foil, and stored in an airtight container.

Brownies taste better the next day. Cool in the pan then set aside, uncut, overnight in an airtight container or 2 layers of foil. To freeze, wrap uncut brownie in 2 layers of foil and 1 layer of plastic wrap and freeze for up to 4 months. Slice brownies just before serving, as cutting cracks the top.

Create Delicious Baked Goods

Combining a starch like cornstarch with other flours can help soften the rigid proteins of the flour, resulting in a light and chewy dessert. Similar to when adding cornstarch to a soup or pudding, if adding cornstarch to a dessert batter, it should first be turned into a slurry.

Using the wrong leavening agent

If you accidentally add baking soda instead of baking powder to baked goods, they won't rise because there is not enough acid.

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.

The brownies are made with unsweetened chocolate, which is also known as baking, plain or bitter chocolate. It is chocolate in its rawest form and this means that unsweetened chocolate is just ground cocoa nibs that have been refined and contain between 50-55% cocoa butter (cacao fat).

How to doctor up brownie mix? ›

Add a teaspoon of instant coffee or espresso powder. Throw in a handful of nuts—pecans, walnuts, macadamia, whatever you have on hand. Scoop in a palmful of dried or frozen fruit. Add an extra splash of the top-shelf vanilla extract, or a dab of vanilla paste, or a dash of vanilla powder, to the batter.

Did you know that Brownies were originally called 'Rosebuds'? Rosebuds was established in 1914 for girls to join before they became Guides. Just one year later, the name was changed to Brownies. Brownies are the second-youngest members of the Girlguiding family, for girls aged between 7 and 10.

That being said, if you're in charge of bringing brownies somewhere and you want to get a head-start, you could certainly refrigerate the batter overnight (you just may want to add a few minutes to the bake time). But honestly, I still think you'd be better off baking the brownies and refrigerating the cooked brownies.

If your brownies are turning out dry, it's for one of two reasons - either you've overcooked the brownies or there is too much flour in your recipe.

It is possible to make them in advance, though we would suggest baking them as soon as the batter has been mixed as if you make the batter too far in advance it needs chilling and baking the brownies from cold will affect how they bake.

Brownies will last 3 to 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature and up to a week in the refrigerator. Brownies will last up to 3 months in the freezer, but if they stay frozen for a prolonged period of time, their taste and quality will begin to deteriorate.

The cake can be made 2 weeks ahead and stored, wrapped in a double layer of greaseproof paper (parchment paper) and a layer of foil, in an airtight container in a cool place. FREEZE NOTE: The cake can be frozen, wrapped in a double layer of clingfilm (plastic wrap) and a double layer of foil, for up to 3 months.

How long does vegan brownie last in the fridge? Months, keep it in an airtight container and it'll be perfectly fine for months. Even out of the fridge this brownie will keep for a few weeks.

They last really well - up to two weeks in the fridge and a week out of the fridge in an airtight container. We recommend cutting them from fridge-cold to get the perfect slice. It's down to personal preference but they are gooey at room temperature and fudgey from the fridge.