We all have days when the only thing we want to do is eat brownies – well at least we do here at Dello Mano🙂 -lots and lots of brownies. The dense flavour of chocolate, plus the creamy texture of the brownie seems to burst in your mouth and is indeed a delightful experience… a very nostalgic one. Like a childhood memory of an afternoon snack like this: brownie plus a glass of warm milk. Yum.

And on those days, a packet of commercial brownie mix seems to be life-saving.

But no. You just don’t want to fulfil your cravings. You also want to satisfy your taste buds.

You want something special and really delightful. Not just sweet and chocolate-like.

You want something luxurious and rich. And you can only get these from a handmade brownie. Like ours here at Dello Mano 🙂

Why settle for just a good brownie when you can have the best? Handmade brownies are very special because you know you are making something from the real thing. Real eggs. Real butter. Real and premium chocolate- just like we use here at Dello Mano. Not just a hefty amount of flavourings. What’s more, you can tailor the recipe to create something that perfectly fits your taste.

Baking is fun too. I don’t know about you, but for me, it has a therapeutic effect. Baking engages all your senses, turning your mind and body into a mindfulness state. It’s really healing.

But of course, just like baking cakes, pies and cookies, baking brownies can sometimes be messy and time-consuming.

But worry not, we’ve got some baking hacks that will surely make the brownie-making process much easier and a sure-fire success. So you’d have less time stressing and more time enjoying your handmade brownie, up to the last crumb!

Alright. Here we go.

• Keep everything in room temperature. It’s really tempting to start baking right away as you think of it, but if your eggs and butter are still cold, you may not get the result you want. As they say, ‘good things come to those who wait’. So let all the cold stuff sit on the counter for an hour or two until they are in room temperature. Can’t wait? Fine. There’s a hack. Crack the egg into a bowl, and then slice your butter into small cubes. From more than an hour, you would only have to wait for 15 minutes.

• Don’t over mix the flour. You don’t want to stir your batter too much as you add the flour. Make sure your flour measurement is correct. Doing so will overdevelop the gluten in the flour, which will make your brownies too dense and chewy. You know you’re done folding the flour in the batter when there are a few white streaks left on the surface.

• Use an oven thermometer. Most ovens are off, temperature-wise. Whether it’s warmer by just 25%, it still makes a big difference. So it really pays to have an oven thermometer around. It’s very cheap but very helpful. Your brownies will thank you.

• Use parchment paper. Make your life easier by placing parchment paper in your baking pan. Make sure to make it an inch or two longer in the sides, so you can easily pull your brownie once it’s done.

• Add one more egg for denser, fudgier brownies. If you’ve been baking for quite a while now, you probably have noticed that egg yolks add richness to the batter and the egg whites produce a more-cake like texture.

• Let it cool before you cut. Cutting the brownie into small squares while it’s still warm can cause crumbling. Sure, you don’t want that. So let it cool before you slice them. Patience is a virtue.

• Use a timer. Yes, you know why.

• Don’t leave out the melted chocolate. Combine melted chocolate and cocoa powder for balance of flavour and texture. If you just use cocoa powder, your brownies are likely to be dry and crumbly. Adding melted chocolate adds moisture and richness to your brownies.

• Understand your bakeware. Make sure you are using the right pan with the right size for your brownie. If you’re using a metal pan, expect your brownie to cook faster. If you’re using a glass pan, it may take a little longer. There’s one thing you need to remember though: every minute counts. 

• Edges or no edges – determine if you want brownie ends or no ends

• Check for doneness ahead of time. Make it a habit to check if your brownie is done at least five minutes before the time stated on the recipe. Just one or two minutes longer in the oven can turn a great brownie to an ‘eh’ brownie.

 Have fun baking!