Sizzling Brownies
Dec. 10th, 2023 08:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerLast night I made a pan of brownies. One of our friends who came over for dinner is allergic to eggs, so in making this recipe I substituted the one egg called for with flaxseed and water. It's a common substitution in baking for people who can't eat eggs, and usually it works well. But last night it failed... weirdly.
When I took the pan of brownies out of the oven it was sizzling. Oil and water were bubbling on top of the brownie making a loud sizzling sound. I've never seen this happen with baking before.
I set the pan aside figuring it was a failure but also figuring I'd check after dinner to see if anything enjoyable to eat could be salvaged from it.
After dinner the brownie had cooled fully... and petrified. I couldn't cut it with a spatula. I couldn't even cut it with a sharp kitchen knife. Figuring it was a total loss I tried just wedging it out of the pan so at least the pan wouldn't be a loss, too.
The brownie popped out of the pan surprisingly easily. I attribute that to me coating the pan well with a thin layer of butter before pouring in the batter. Hey, at least something wasn't ruined. 😅
The brownie was one stiff piece. It still wasn't amenable to being cut with a knife, but I did find that I could break it into chunks with my hands by folding it. I put the pieces onto the wooden cutting board and carried it out to the dinner table. "Let's see if any of it is worth eating," I laughed.
Our two dinner guests joined me. It was tough... but the flavors were good. I dubbed it Brownie Brittle.
Update: I tried another piece this afternoon. It had hardened even more overnight. To soften it up I broke off a chunk, wrapped it with a damp paper towel, and microwaved it for 30 seconds. That loosened it up a fair bit. It still wasn't soft and moist like a proper brownie but at least it wasn't a jawbreaker.
When I took the pan of brownies out of the oven it was sizzling. Oil and water were bubbling on top of the brownie making a loud sizzling sound. I've never seen this happen with baking before.
I set the pan aside figuring it was a failure but also figuring I'd check after dinner to see if anything enjoyable to eat could be salvaged from it.
After dinner the brownie had cooled fully... and petrified. I couldn't cut it with a spatula. I couldn't even cut it with a sharp kitchen knife. Figuring it was a total loss I tried just wedging it out of the pan so at least the pan wouldn't be a loss, too.
The brownie popped out of the pan surprisingly easily. I attribute that to me coating the pan well with a thin layer of butter before pouring in the batter. Hey, at least something wasn't ruined. 😅
The brownie was one stiff piece. It still wasn't amenable to being cut with a knife, but I did find that I could break it into chunks with my hands by folding it. I put the pieces onto the wooden cutting board and carried it out to the dinner table. "Let's see if any of it is worth eating," I laughed.
Our two dinner guests joined me. It was tough... but the flavors were good. I dubbed it Brownie Brittle.
Update: I tried another piece this afternoon. It had hardened even more overnight. To soften it up I broke off a chunk, wrapped it with a damp paper towel, and microwaved it for 30 seconds. That loosened it up a fair bit. It still wasn't soft and moist like a proper brownie but at least it wasn't a jawbreaker.
