For April's Taste Creations, we are doing anything and all things Easter! If you are like me, you appreciate a nice dessert, but a shortcut or two might be in order. I make these brownies ahead of time (actually my husband does) and I decorate them right before serving. They make a darling centerpiece on the table and can be served with the meal. Anyone ready can have one after eating.
We love this brownie recipe that we learned at a cooking school. We modify the recipe by changing up the topping on the brownies. We use crushed nuts, chocolate eggs, or chocolate chunks for Easter. About one cup will suffice.
When baking brownies, it truly is all about the pan. We've used three sizes of pans and decided we like the thicker brownie that a 7 by 11" pan makes. You have to bake it longer (about 40 minutes) and we prefer a shiny silver pan over a dark one. And then you have to let them cool. We recommend 15 minutes at the minimum but an hour is ok, too.
Some tricks I've learned along the way are:
- Don't overbeat the batter. Brownies do not like air pockets.
- Brownies do not like to be overbaked. Monitor them closely.
- In our oven, the top shelf protects the batter the most without overcooking. Yours may be different.
