Great video! In your recipe development, did you notice any textural differences between butter vs oil as the main fat? My intuition says that oil based brownies would feel moister at room temperature vs butter based ones (at the expense of less buttery flavor) since oil is an unsaturated fat, but I've never actually tried them side by side
You know, I did that test, but I couldn't fit it in this video! I tested: - browned butter, - canola oil, - clarified butter, and - melted cocoa butter. The only one that was crumbly (I tested the texture 24 hours after baking) was the one that contained cocoa butter. That stuff smells divine but sets up really hard at room temperature. Though I wonder if anyone would use ALL cocoa butter in their brownies - perhaps a little coming from a chocolate bar; buying cocoa butter like that is usually pretty expensive. Butter (clarified or browned) and oil brownies had nearly the same soft textures. The only difference was in taste. Clearly, butter is gonna taste so much better. And with brownies, there are so many other things going on, and the fat and syrup levels are so high that unless you're a brownie connoisseur, you could use all oil or a combo of butter and oil, and concentrate a little more on choosing a type of chocolate that you like.
@@SugarologieInteresting that cocoa butter turned them crumbly for you! I've actually had great results replacing some of the butter & sugar in my recipes with more chocolate, thus increasing cocoa solids and cocoa butter. I suppose replacing _all_ the fat is a bit more extreme though. I use 360g 70% chocolate, 110g butter, 280g sugar, 4 small eggs, 95g flour, and 1/2 tsp salt. This produces very fudgy brownies that are best eaten the following day!
@@juliand665In my recipe is use about the same amount of chocolate and I may be mistaken here but surely not all 360g of the chocolate is melted? I suppose a 1:1 Ratio of butter to melted chocolate is perfect? Did you chop some of the chocolate. If so how much of the 360g was melted.
I love that you scraped EVERY single bit of browned butter into your bowl. I hate when people post recipes and and leave all those tasty bits in their bowl. That’s the most important part imo! 😊❤
I've been falling down a brownie rabbit hole to make the ideal brownie for my friend's birthday, and I'm so grateful for food researchers such as you. Love nerding out about food intricacies
Thank you for doing this - I’ve always felt that it had to be finely ground/powdered sugar, because box brownies consistently get that top without all the extra steps of either melting granulated sugar and butter together or whipping the eggs, melted butter and sugar together. Appreciate you!
I use datefruit molasses personally for that yummy dark caramel flavor and the benefit of already liquid sugar. Perfect brownie skin every time. That said, I live in a middle eastern household and I always have date molasses around as my primary sweetener, so that might be inconvenient for someone else.
To be fair, Ragusea's video also claimed that too much moisture was a major problem in brownie skin development. He pointed that out with the honey and syrup brownie recipes he did. The fact that you've identified a number though is fantastic!
Yeah, it was so hard to pack everything, including all his good info, into only one section of this video. It was clear that he picked up on that observation in his trials. It definitely helped me wade through all the possibilities and end up with a reproducible method for my recipes.
I hope you know how much people like me *LOVE* your content. Showing us the science behind the recipes and techniques you use has taken me from a better than average homemade baker into a great baker who is slowly starting to sell my product. Seriously, thank you! Finding you (and Nicole @baketoujours) has been a bright spot in an otherwise hard year. Thank you for all the hard work you do!
Wanna echo this. I actually work in science for my day job and I love being able to apply scientific concepts in my cooking, especially if it means that my cooking gets better. Thanks so much @sugarologie !
Minor Correction: The percentage on the package is a combination of the Cocoa Butter AND the Cocoa Solids. 25% cocoa butter + 35% cocoa solids Or 35% cocoa butter + 25% cocoa solids Both labeled 60% dark chocolate.
One thing I don't think I've seen anyone mention: the viral Reddit recipe seems almost identical to Stella Parks' brownie recipe published on Serious Eats. The ingredient ratios are quite similar--there's more flour and way more brown sugar, but everything else seems to line up almost exactly with Stella Parks' recipe downscaled to 2/3. Stella's is also the only recipe out of the 5 that suggests adding instant espresso powder. In addition, the steps used in the Reddit recipe seem to match up with Stella's recipe above all others. Out of the recipes that the OP cited as inspiration (Stella Parks, Broma, Supernatural Brownies, Tasty, Sally's Baking), only Stella Parks' and Broma's include the step of foaming the eggs before adding the butter, and Stella's is the only one that has you pour the butter into the foamed eggs with the stand mixer running (Broma's has you fold it in). I'm not sure if OP was more influenced by Stella Parks' recipe than anything else (it was the most-upvoted recipe in the original Reddit thread), but I feel like she deserves at least a shoutout considering how similar her recipe is--I've been following it for years and had a bit of a "hey, wait a second" moment when I saw the Reddit recipe posted.
I learned something interesting while in school for dietetics. Recipes can't be copyrighted like normal writings can and people "borrow" them all the time, but it's basically on the person who took or adapted it to give any credit, if they want to. I think it's right to give credit, even if you made changes, but it's a dog-eat-dog world in the recipe realm.
OVER AND OVER I have seen this, "ONE BOWL BROWNIES" by Baker's Chocolate is the best and so is their cake (chocolate) recipe on the back of the container. and yes, people do "adapt" it and call it their own, even my mother did this and gave it a new name, with her name in the renaming! but no one would ever tell her that her cakes were kinda horrible and dry, just "missing" something and I know what that was. this is important. everything is vibration, whether you "get it" now or not. and what most do not know and will never understand is that if you love who is cooking, you will love the food and that person's vibration goes into the food as they bake or cook. also there are little things one can do if they care - actually care about the food as they are preparing. I am not giving any more tips away! but suffice to say, when love is the vibration, it comes thru. reminds me of that movie, "like water for chocolate" when the girl cries as she is cooking and the vibration affects the food, because it is true absolutely. people who know, know. I never ever cook now when I am upset because it will turn into a disaster. God bless everyone, THIS is what sets everything we do apart from ordinary. I learned this.......and it affects everything in our lives too. @@pirate89RAWR ✝
I like how detailed you were in your search for the best brownie recipe. Plus you included someone who has also been testing and baking different recipes. And the combination of science with baking is also appreciated.
I've worked in the kitchen part time at a camp/retreat center for years. We use the king arthur flour brownie recipe. The recipe we were using previously was more cakey and dry, so we were looking for a different one. Our criteria was a little different since we were potentially making brownies for up to 100 or so people at a time. We wanted something chewier, but we needed it to be no fuss preparation, serve cleanly (we had tested one recipe that stuck to the pan like you wouldn't believe), and be structurally sound enough that kids could pick them up without them falling apart everywhere. I might have to try some of these other recipes though...
The amount of effort and research you put in is beyond commendable! Ever since I’ve reduced the sugar in my brownie recipe I’ve bid goodbye to the crinkle top 😢 but this answers everything Thank you so much ❤
i've made these brownies twice already. it's so good each time. I've experimented with different recipes and THIS has the texture, the richness and moist i've been looking for for a long time. thank you!
I was hospitalized for several weeks earlier this year, and your channel was one of the few I watched while I was going through a terrible time. Your scientific approach to food helped preoccupy me and kept me from freaking out too had about my situation (I had bacterial pneumonia and had gone septic). Thank you! Your Ube cake was my favorite video, btw. 😊 There was something fascinating about the natural purple color and because I've never tried ube, it was interesting to imagine what it tasted like. I still haven't gotten the opportunity to try ube, but I will make it my mission to find this ingredient and use it in a cake!
As someone that loves the science behind baking and is constantly looking to improve things, I love your science, data-driven and evidence-based approach to this. It's exactly the sort of thing I would do, but with the laziness benefit of getting to see the results from someone else putting in all the hard work. So thank you so much for this!
This channel has become a fast favorite of mine because of the science i can really understand the differences in recipes and can figure out a recipe that would fit my taste. Being a baker is knowing all recipes come out different depending on the ingredients, the temp of certain ingredients, the order in which they are mixed, and how much they are mixed. Its amazing and makes me respect a good baker all the more. 💌
I am SO impressed by your videos Adriana! The amount of work you've put into this one is incredible. How is it you don't have millions of subscribers?? I need to tell more people about you ❤
I've been looking for a perfect brownie recipe, tried many different ones, but they never really worked in the way we like them - fudgie and chewy with crack on too, they were always either too dense or too cake-like. But I gotta say honestly, your version is SICK - it worked so well on the first try, absolutely delicious, we loved it and the texture is perfect amount of chewy chocolate flavour with nice crack on top, absolutely recommend anyone should try it - best brownie recipe on youtube (and I really tried all other 'best' ones)
Great breakdown! When I tried the reddit brownies though, I found them to lean heavily fudgy and cakey which almost no chewiness. With how moist and fudgy they were, my brain couldn't comprehend the lack of chewiness. And when I say cakey, I don't mean big open crumb cake but dense, moist crumb with tender texture.
I really enjoyed your analysis here! I'm an analytical chemist by day, wannabe food UA-camr by night, and I found this easy to understand and technically informative! I have to see if I can get my wife to bake me your recipe (I cook, she bakes!)
I love your content! These atrocities over the last month has taken its toll on me. I’ve repeatedly watched your videos as it’s the only thing that recentres me 💕 I hope you’re well, take care 🥰
As a nerdy science-type girl who loves to bake, I thank you for giving me something to think about!!! The consistent crinkle is all my brownies are missing now I know why...TY
I made these brownies yesterday, and it was THE BEST Brownie I've ever made! Thank you for explaining the science behind it so that I knew what mistakes to avoid and where to be careful. For the first time in my life I acheived brownie skins on a brownie I made! 🥳❤
Sometimes UA-cam’s algorithms rock my world. This is one of those times. I love the science and data behind things. Good Eats got me hooked on it. Thank you so much for this! I love the data. I realize this could be overkill but I imagine a world where I can consult the Sugarologie AI and describe exactly the brownie I want and have it give me the exact recipe.
I sincerely appreciate the spreadsheets, images, production, analysis - I felt like I was reading a peer reviewed recipe in a chemistry journal! I'm binge watching all your videos now! And can't wait to try these tips!
I watched this video three times then followed the link to your 'Sugarologie’s Fudgy-Chewy Brownies' recipe and made them. I did EXACTLY as stated in the recipe and didn't change a thing. After making about 7 other recipes from YTube lately, I have to conclude that these turned out better than any of the others for me. I was curious how they would turn out using powdered sugar (or icing sugar as we all it in the UK) and I was very pleasantly surprised. These are definitely great. Thank you ❤
Let me just say; I wish you taught a class when I was in school, I would’ve absolutely paid attention. Ur explanations are so on point and easy to understand
I always bake kitchen conundrums - everyday food's the perfect science behind the perfect brownie recipe and it turns out amazing. it melts the chocolate and butter with benmari method and adds the hot chocolate and butter to white sugar which melts the sugar. It is a video from 8 years ago and it never failed me.
If you love the combo of chocolate & peanut butter, try this…it’s life changing: Keep mixing more and more powdered sugar into peanut butter until the mix becomes crumbly (takes some serious elbow grease). Make some brownie batter, fresh or packaged, whichever you prefer (Ghirardelli’s is a good packaged brownie imo) and pour half into a buttered pan. Crumble the peanut butter powdered sugar mix evenly onto the brownie batter in the pan (big chunks are a good thing). Evenly distribute some big chunks of a good milk chocolate onto the PB crumbles in the pan. Then cover with the remaining brownie batter. FYI: Most store bought powdered sugar has a lot of corn starch in it (organic powdered sugar is the exception) which makes the powdered sugar mealy. A high speed blender or coffee grinder can turn granulated sugar into pure powdered sugar in just over a second.
This brownie HITS so hard, it's the best one out there because it's so nice and CHEWY, that is what I want in a brownie. Absolutely stellar techniques of blooming the cocoa with the hot brown butter. I experimented and used half/half dutch and natch cocoas, and then I put 1/4 tsp baking soda in to neutralize the natch. Next time I think I will experiment mixing the cocoa with brown sugar and the hot butter could liquefy the brown sugar and bloom the cocoa. May not be necessary though since powdered sugar dissolved in the eggs works so well with that flaky top.
I just made the Reddit brownies and they were awesome!! I was intrigued by the recipe because of the brown butter, the foaming of the eggs, and the fact that they were supposed to be fudgy while still having a discernible crumb because I don't like fudgy brownies that are made fudgy by simply underbaking... I want a fully baked brownie that still melts in your mouth... This delivered!!!
I LOVE chewy brownies, and a good chewy recipe is hard to find, because almost everyone who claims to have the most “amazing brownie recipe” makes a fudgy browny. Even the ones who say they are the chewiest brownies seem to be fudgy. I finally found my favourite recipe a few years ago and it didn’t save in my bookmarks-despite remembering saving it! The way I distinguish fudgy from chewy is this: fudgy = sticks to your teeth then melts away; chewy = sticks to your teeth for a moment but smacks away cleanly with every chew. I find it’s hard to eat more than one fudgy brownly, as they are so rich they get sickly. But a chewy brownie is very moreish. Thanks for the vid!
Thank you for taking the time to do the testing, and also for the recipe. We have a 9x13 of your exact brownie recipe in the oven as I type this. I can't yet speak to the finished result, but I did want to share a mini-revelation that I had while baking these .. I'm a passionate and detail oriented home baker and I've always hoped that one of my daughters would share this passion. In the past I've baked with them, but unfortunately I baked like I work; with purpose and not wanting to have my daughter's handle any of the seemingly complicated or technical chores involved. For whatever reason this recipe in all of its detail and specifics allowed me to relax my overly controlling personality and I just let my oldest girl handle whatever parts of the process that she felt comfortable with. It was tricky at first because I kept catching myself hovering over her shoulder as she mixed like an over protective father... 😅 When I was able to just relax and enjoy the process with her it was an incredible feeling, for both of us! Thank you for making your recipe so specific that I was able to realize a baking connection with my daughter, without getting in my own way. 👍👍😍
These are the opposite of what I want in a brownie, which is basically flat cake. But I am _here_ for the science, and will probably watch this multiple times.
Check out "wacky cake," aka "depression cake." No eggs, no butter, no milk, and uses vinegar/baking soda as the leavening. It creates a dense, moist chocolate cake.
@@PitifulDelaymy half Serbian wife has a recipe for this; the Serbs call it “fast cake” (as in fasting, not speed). Very good and inherently vegan too.
Thank you, I learned a lot and appreciated getting a better understanding of ratios as I use those in bread baking. Not to throw a wrench into any of this but I wonder if you have looked at chilling the batter in the fridge? You are probably aware of the recipe, "100 hour brownies'' by Alvin? I started with his recipe as a base to create my own version but I kept two vital strategies: 1) chill the batter for 3 days in the fridge and 2) after baking put in the freezer for 30 minutes ( fridge up to 24 hours) to seal moisture in. I did the 3 days and 30 minutes and the results were something I had never tasted before. IThe result was a fudgy brownie but it was something that I can only describe as close to the inside of a truffle. The chocolate had an intense flavour like I have never experienced -- not a good or bad thing. One observation I picked up from this was that people who don't really like chocolatethat tired it -- loved it! As in ate more than one piece. I wonder if you tried incorporating these two points into your final recipe and compare and see what you think? Thank you again for your detailed explanation in laymen's terms.
Yes, I have seen that recipe - it looks so good! I tried the 30 min freezer bit on my fudgy chewy brownies and it was delicious, but it was more of a thing I did bc I was I in a rush. The outcome was nice and fudgy. I should add that as a footnote to my recipe; I totally forgot. As for the resting for 3 days, I was contemplating exploring that since it’s also a common suggestion for cookies. That’s something I haven’t tried to that extent. I’ve done overnight chilling though. Thanks for the suggestions!
@@Sugarologie Thank you for taking the time to read and respond. It is my understanding that NYC bakeries who compete for brownie lovers all chill their batter for a few days. The main reason why I ask you to experiment with it is because the end result is unlike anything I have ever tasted. I really loved it but I can't swear it is a 'brownie'. It is so unusual today to be able to taste something completely new and maybe you will identify it with something else or just a really good brownie. cheers, Greg
@@lindapb6529 I give them about 15 minutes while I clear an open rack so the hot pan is not hurting anything else in the freezer. I put them in uncovered. I should mention I prefer parchment lined metal pans 9 x 13". Cover tightly after removing from freezer and I keep them in the fridge. You could also take half. Wrap up and freeze for later use. ps: it is a lot of work, time and ingredients. I have only made this 3x but am thinking of making two batches at once next time. Remember to customize and record your version for future reference. Hope this helps.
Being a recipie developer and cooking by formula sounds like a super interesting way to approach cooking as a science. I just found your channel from this video so I'm not familiar with your usual style but I like how you approach this recipe with showing your research and findings. Thankyou for a great video to watch, I will give these a try, maybe for chiristmas. Cheers!
OMG! I just found your channel and I am in love! The research driven focus, the attention to detail...all to perfect recipes...simply magnifique! Thank you!
I'd always had the idea of making brownies using brown sugar and brown butter because they're the two ingredients that make chocolate chip cookies. So good, it must make brownies good too. Well I've this recipe now, and I've got to say this is my go-to recipe. Now. Is the perfect flavor and texture combination for what I like in a brownie. Thank you for making this!
Thanks for the video, I didn’t even know I need this, but I’m so happy to see your analysis on this topic! I’ve been confused about brownies for years already!
until now I always melted and mixed powdered sugar, butter and a pinch of salt in a microwave, but kept the chocolate bar chunked (melts in the oven). results were pretty decent, really have no complaints but will definitly try melting the chocolate next time :)
Adriana, thanks so much for this. I've been looking for a recipe to repurpose my failed black cocoa buttercream of yours (I'm working on it) and this looks like the perfect one. I didn't know how I was going to rationalise using 226g of butter in something but now I have the exact recipe to do it - like, exact! 😂. Thank you!
I've watched this video 3 times now. I LOVE learning about cooking and ingredients in this way. Learning about what ingredients do what when mixed with other ingredients (and how our bodies react to them but thats a whole other topic lol), is just so interesting to my brain! I think i like watching videos like this bc i know i would have SO much fun with cooking and baking experiments side by side like this, tweaking a recipe just enough to see what happens. I could deep dive on ingredients all day if time would allow me! This was such an informative video! Thank you to the creator! Gained a sub from me and i can't wait to explore more of their content! :D
My mum said it was sugar that created the skin and it mainly happens in the liquid batter when you melt sugar and butter together and that the ratios favour more sugar than flour e.g mud cakes and brownies. She said it was similar to how you separate salt from the water and that it's the salt that remains after the water evaporates. I'm guessing its the water from the butter that it connected to the sugar that' has evaporated leaving behind the sugar that's on the top of the cake. Have you ever tried adding milk powder to the step "brown the butter" to increase more milk solids being browned for a more flavour
wow, very interesting analysis, brining up techniques and formulas to control the oversaturation of the sugar, leading to the brittle and elegant surface! there could very tons of applications for this, like the cookies you exemplified
The one part most bakeries do that was left out of all this was the rest before baking. The better is normally made the night before and not cooked till morning. This way the flour fully hydrates creating a nicer fudgy crumb
Iv used, brown, caster, dark brown, vannilla and golden syrup as sugars and all had flakey tops. Less than 1/5 of the sugar as set honey, and the tops had zero crack.
So much effort and research went into this. Just makes me feel lucky that I can just buy a pack of brownie mix at my local supermarket, add some butter and water and get the perfect brownie every time with less than 10 minutes of work.
So interesting! I always thought about fudgy vs cakey, not fudgy vs chewy! Did you look at the effect of baking to a specific internal temp? ("underbaking") It seems like underbaking will give a moister, fudgier result. David Seymour also did a video testing someone else's recipe and it involved covering the pan as soon as it's out of the oven and putting it in the freezer to bring the temperature down quickly - maybe prevent moisture loss?
One time I made chocolate chip cookies with powdered sugar because that was all I had, and ended up with a shiny, crinkly top. I never put two and two together. 😆
As a bit of an outsider to cooking, I've always thought of it as being essentially edible chemistry. Learning the details about the chemical reactions that makes ingredients behave the way they do is hella neat, I wish more people taught recipes like this
Great video! Love the analytical approach 😊 do you have any tips on avoiding the eggs altogether (maybe replacing with oil and plant-based milk or something) ?
Y'know this is what I always envisioned how the internet was gonna be years ago! haha :) An idea/request is made...suggestions shared/laid out...the best ideas get synthesized into one, that incorporates all the most desirable elements. Then...you have your video...visually breaking it down even further giving us the science behind it all, so at each step of the way one can know what is taking place and going on. Incredible! All of this is awesome I gotta say! And thanks for sharing your video on this. I've seen the recipe myself and have resisted because I don't experiment w my DARK CHOCOLATE lol. Maybe the cheaper stuff but not that. So seeing your breakdown and seeing what is "within the margins" for chocolate helps tremendously. And NOW that I've seen your video, I'll give it a try. Thanks again for sharing and adding value w your insights & expertise!
I'm sorry buy I am in LOVE with the science you have provided us to one of the most scrumptious desserts of all time. You have outdone yourself with your research and experimentation. This is just - wow. I appreciate brownies so much more now. And I have a deeper knowledge of what makes the perfect brownie. The best recipe has eluded me thus far. I look forward to making that perfect brownie once and for all. Thank youuuuu!
OMGGGG!!! two of my favourite underrated UA-cam Bakers!!! Love you both! ANd this is such perfect timing - i plan to make brownies for one of my friends next weekend!
I love this video and how analytic it is, helped me debug my no crust brownies. The issue is I can't deal with so much sugar in pastries.. First off it's insanely unhealthy and I'm the kind of person that can't stop eating stuff until it's gone, and the other reason is that I'm used to reducing sugar in almost every recipe I ever make because USSUALY I can deal with the reduction in the quality of the consistency, in exchange for not suffering from the pastry being overly sweet for me.. But brownies without crust drive me mad. 😅
* I made a second batch after wondering if I had made any mistakes in the process. This time I omitted the chocolate and let the butter cool to warm before mixing with the cocoa. While the bitterness did decrease, it still lingered. Items with excessive cocoa (I used Callebaut here), at least to my palate, tend to have a hint of burnt rubber and be a bit flat. The texture and look of the brownie is indeed quite nice, but the taste is just not that pleasant. Maybe subbing some of the cocoa for flour, incorporating melted chocolate into the batter, increasing the sugar, and using chips on the sweeter side might help. ______________________ This recipe had me intrigued as it is quite different from the ones I usually make so I went ahead I made a batch. While it does deliver on the crackly top and has a slightly chewy texture, the flavor was exceedingly bitter, as its very dark color on the video seemed to indicate. I did use a 70% chocolate, but even when I ate around the melted chips the bitterness remained (the brownie cooked for less than the recommended time and I checked the temperature so it was definitely not burnt). The proportion of cocoa to sugar seems to be way too high. Also, I think browning the butter, though not necessarily a difficult or time-consuming step, seems unnecessary here as the its flavor is not noticeable. The explanations are interesting and I might test them on other brownie recipes in the future but I would strongly advise making a small test batch before making a full pan to see if it suits your taste.
Interesting, thanks for sharing. Could it have been the cocoa you used that was bitter? And, for clarification, to which recipe are you referring ? Few are mentioned. Thanks!
OMG.....I never knew i cared so much about Brownies. Great job on this video!!! The way you explain everything was amazing. I loved how you showed and explained the different examples. They way you breakdown the scientific side was amazing also. I am looking forward to trying to make your perfect brownies. I am a first time viewer and going to be a new subscriber.
You don’t need espresso or chocolate. Just use a dutch processed cocoa and it will be perfect. Also, no need for brown sugar, dissolve the white sugar in butter and mix in flour and cocoa. I’ve tried them all and this simple approach is the best.
This guy: finds video of two baking experts who also tried multiple approaches and did so scientifically and explained what you should do depending on what kind of brownie you want, scoffs, opens comment section
Thank you for putting the temperature reading for when they are done. It's very annoying when cookbooks or channels will go into great detail about the proper temp for meats but when it comes to baked goods they wave their hands and say "cook until done"
Great video! In your recipe development, did you notice any textural differences between butter vs oil as the main fat? My intuition says that oil based brownies would feel moister at room temperature vs butter based ones (at the expense of less buttery flavor) since oil is an unsaturated fat, but I've never actually tried them side by side
You know, I did that test, but I couldn't fit it in this video! I tested:
- browned butter,
- canola oil,
- clarified butter, and
- melted cocoa butter.
The only one that was crumbly (I tested the texture 24 hours after baking) was the one that contained cocoa butter. That stuff smells divine but sets up really hard at room temperature. Though I wonder if anyone would use ALL cocoa butter in their brownies - perhaps a little coming from a chocolate bar; buying cocoa butter like that is usually pretty expensive.
Butter (clarified or browned) and oil brownies had nearly the same soft textures. The only difference was in taste. Clearly, butter is gonna taste so much better. And with brownies, there are so many other things going on, and the fat and syrup levels are so high that unless you're a brownie connoisseur, you could use all oil or a combo of butter and oil, and concentrate a little more on choosing a type of chocolate that you like.
@@Sugarologie awesome, thanks for doing such great work!
@@SugarologieInteresting that cocoa butter turned them crumbly for you! I've actually had great results replacing some of the butter & sugar in my recipes with more chocolate, thus increasing cocoa solids and cocoa butter. I suppose replacing _all_ the fat is a bit more extreme though. I use 360g 70% chocolate, 110g butter, 280g sugar, 4 small eggs, 95g flour, and 1/2 tsp salt. This produces very fudgy brownies that are best eaten the following day!
@@juliand665In my recipe is use about the same amount of chocolate and I may be mistaken here but surely not all 360g of the chocolate is melted? I suppose a 1:1 Ratio of butter to melted chocolate is perfect? Did you chop some of the chocolate. If so how much of the 360g was melted.
@@jh-ij2zb I do indeed melt all 360g of the chocolate! That's what's so unusual about it-give it a try if you have some spare time & chocolate ;)
I love that you scraped EVERY single bit of browned butter into your bowl. I hate when people post recipes and and leave all those tasty bits in their bowl. That’s the most important part imo! 😊❤
I've been falling down a brownie rabbit hole to make the ideal brownie for my friend's birthday, and I'm so grateful for food researchers such as you. Love nerding out about food intricacies
That's so sweet of you. How did it go?
Thank you for doing this - I’ve always felt that it had to be finely ground/powdered sugar, because box brownies consistently get that top without all the extra steps of either melting granulated sugar and butter together or whipping the eggs, melted butter and sugar together. Appreciate you!
I highly suggest watching Adam's videos - he really gets into that topic and explains it so well.
@@SugarologieYep, I’ve seen it😁
I use datefruit molasses personally for that yummy dark caramel flavor and the benefit of already liquid sugar. Perfect brownie skin every time. That said, I live in a middle eastern household and I always have date molasses around as my primary sweetener, so that might be inconvenient for someone else.
To be fair, Ragusea's video also claimed that too much moisture was a major problem in brownie skin development. He pointed that out with the honey and syrup brownie recipes he did.
The fact that you've identified a number though is fantastic!
Yeah, it was so hard to pack everything, including all his good info, into only one section of this video. It was clear that he picked up on that observation in his trials. It definitely helped me wade through all the possibilities and end up with a reproducible method for my recipes.
I hope you know how much people like me *LOVE* your content. Showing us the science behind the recipes and techniques you use has taken me from a better than average homemade baker into a great baker who is slowly starting to sell my product. Seriously, thank you! Finding you (and Nicole @baketoujours) has been a bright spot in an otherwise hard year. Thank you for all the hard work you do!
💕💕😊💕💕
Wanna echo this. I actually work in science for my day job and I love being able to apply scientific concepts in my cooking, especially if it means that my cooking gets better. Thanks so much @sugarologie !
Was just thinking this! Super underrated chanel. Comforting to watch too, doesn’t feel overwhelming.
Lol
Echooo!! This person said it 🙌🏽🙏🏽💗✨
Minor Correction: The percentage on the package is a combination of the Cocoa Butter AND the Cocoa Solids.
25% cocoa butter + 35% cocoa solids
Or
35% cocoa butter + 25% cocoa solids
Both labeled 60% dark chocolate.
Dangit, I said only cocoa solids didn’t I. Ugh I rushed through that, thanks for the correction.
One thing I don't think I've seen anyone mention: the viral Reddit recipe seems almost identical to Stella Parks' brownie recipe published on Serious Eats. The ingredient ratios are quite similar--there's more flour and way more brown sugar, but everything else seems to line up almost exactly with Stella Parks' recipe downscaled to 2/3. Stella's is also the only recipe out of the 5 that suggests adding instant espresso powder.
In addition, the steps used in the Reddit recipe seem to match up with Stella's recipe above all others. Out of the recipes that the OP cited as inspiration (Stella Parks, Broma, Supernatural Brownies, Tasty, Sally's Baking), only Stella Parks' and Broma's include the step of foaming the eggs before adding the butter, and Stella's is the only one that has you pour the butter into the foamed eggs with the stand mixer running (Broma's has you fold it in).
I'm not sure if OP was more influenced by Stella Parks' recipe than anything else (it was the most-upvoted recipe in the original Reddit thread), but I feel like she deserves at least a shoutout considering how similar her recipe is--I've been following it for years and had a bit of a "hey, wait a second" moment when I saw the Reddit recipe posted.
I learned something interesting while in school for dietetics. Recipes can't be copyrighted like normal writings can and people "borrow" them all the time, but it's basically on the person who took or adapted it to give any credit, if they want to. I think it's right to give credit, even if you made changes, but it's a dog-eat-dog world in the recipe realm.
In the original post, OP mentions that they adapted their recipe from many different recipes, including Stella Park's brownie recipe.
OVER AND OVER I have seen this, "ONE BOWL BROWNIES" by Baker's Chocolate is the best and so is their cake (chocolate) recipe on the back of the container. and yes, people do "adapt" it and call it their own, even my mother did this and gave it a new name, with her name in the renaming! but no one would ever tell her that her cakes were kinda horrible and dry, just "missing" something and I know what that was. this is important. everything is vibration, whether you "get it" now or not. and what most do not know and will never understand is that if you love who is cooking, you will love the food and that person's vibration goes into the food as they bake or cook. also there are little things one can do if they care - actually care about the food as they are preparing. I am not giving any more tips away! but suffice to say, when love is the vibration, it comes thru.
reminds me of that movie, "like water for chocolate" when the girl cries as she is cooking and the vibration affects the food, because it is true absolutely. people who know, know. I never ever cook now when I am upset because it will turn into a disaster. God bless everyone, THIS is what sets everything we do apart from ordinary. I learned this.......and it affects everything in our lives too. @@pirate89RAWR ✝
I want some of whatever you're having@@JustMe-uu3bh
@@JustMe-uu3bhI don't think God cares about vibrations lmao
I like how detailed you were in your search for the best brownie recipe. Plus you included someone who has also been testing and baking different recipes. And the combination of science with baking is also appreciated.
I've worked in the kitchen part time at a camp/retreat center for years. We use the king arthur flour brownie recipe. The recipe we were using previously was more cakey and dry, so we were looking for a different one. Our criteria was a little different since we were potentially making brownies for up to 100 or so people at a time. We wanted something chewier, but we needed it to be no fuss preparation, serve cleanly (we had tested one recipe that stuck to the pan like you wouldn't believe), and be structurally sound enough that kids could pick them up without them falling apart everywhere. I might have to try some of these other recipes though...
is their fudge brownies recipe or quick and easy brownie?
@@alphafish4756 quick and easy I believe
The amount of effort and research you put in is beyond commendable! Ever since I’ve reduced the sugar in my brownie recipe I’ve bid goodbye to the crinkle top 😢 but this answers everything
Thank you so much ❤
You are the BEST educational baking content creator on UA-cam. I cannot believe you make this available for FREE! Thank you. ❤
It's not really free; there's just no content-specific addon cost to this contet.
🙏🏼I just want to sincerely thank you for giving an in depth explanation of brownie skin. This issue has been driving me crazy for many years.
i've made these brownies twice already. it's so good each time. I've experimented with different recipes and THIS has the texture, the richness and moist i've been looking for for a long time. thank you!
I don’t know why it took me so long to find this channel. I’m not even into baking that much, but your methodical and scientific approach is the best!
I was hospitalized for several weeks earlier this year, and your channel was one of the few I watched while I was going through a terrible time. Your scientific approach to food helped preoccupy me and kept me from freaking out too had about my situation (I had bacterial pneumonia and had gone septic). Thank you!
Your Ube cake was my favorite video, btw. 😊 There was something fascinating about the natural purple color and because I've never tried ube, it was interesting to imagine what it tasted like. I still haven't gotten the opportunity to try ube, but I will make it my mission to find this ingredient and use it in a cake!
I hope you are recovering well after that experience!
As someone that loves the science behind baking and is constantly looking to improve things, I love your science, data-driven and evidence-based approach to this. It's exactly the sort of thing I would do, but with the laziness benefit of getting to see the results from someone else putting in all the hard work. So thank you so much for this!
Applying the findings about the top texture to a cookie recipe is pure genius. Very excited to try this out.
This channel has become a fast favorite of mine because of the science i can really understand the differences in recipes and can figure out a recipe that would fit my taste. Being a baker is knowing all recipes come out different depending on the ingredients, the temp of certain ingredients, the order in which they are mixed, and how much they are mixed. Its amazing and makes me respect a good baker all the more. 💌
I am SO impressed by your videos Adriana! The amount of work you've put into this one is incredible. How is it you don't have millions of subscribers?? I need to tell more people about you ❤
That's so sweet 😊
I've been looking for a perfect brownie recipe, tried many different ones, but they never really worked in the way we like them - fudgie and chewy with crack on too, they were always either too dense or too cake-like. But I gotta say honestly, your version is SICK - it worked so well on the first try, absolutely delicious, we loved it and the texture is perfect amount of chewy chocolate flavour with nice crack on top, absolutely recommend anyone should try it - best brownie recipe on youtube (and I really tried all other 'best' ones)
I'm a food scientist/recipe developer and really enjoyed watching a fellow professional work!!!
Great breakdown! When I tried the reddit brownies though, I found them to lean heavily fudgy and cakey which almost no chewiness. With how moist and fudgy they were, my brain couldn't comprehend the lack of chewiness. And when I say cakey, I don't mean big open crumb cake but dense, moist crumb with tender texture.
I really enjoyed your analysis here! I'm an analytical chemist by day, wannabe food UA-camr by night, and I found this easy to understand and technically informative! I have to see if I can get my wife to bake me your recipe (I cook, she bakes!)
I love your content! These atrocities over the last month has taken its toll on me. I’ve repeatedly watched your videos as it’s the only thing that recentres me 💕 I hope you’re well, take care 🥰
I love science and baking, you combine it I love your channel so much ❤️
I thought I nerdified baking until I found your channel. I truly appreciate the thought (and angle) that goes into your videos!
We need that brown butter chocolate chip brownies recipe stat!!
...coming soon....💕
@@Sugarologie Ok, it's been a day, are we nearly there yet?!🤣
Great video BTW - my hubby's favourite so he's pleased I've a new recipe to try!🥰
@@SugarologieIf we could have it in time for holiday baking? That would be awesome! If not, we'll get by, of course, but we live in hope. 😊
@@Sugarologie You're forcing me to subscribe and click all notifications...sneaky!
As a nerdy science-type girl who loves to bake, I thank you for giving me something to think about!!! The consistent crinkle is all my brownies are missing now I know why...TY
I made these brownies yesterday, and it was THE BEST Brownie I've ever made! Thank you for explaining the science behind it so that I knew what mistakes to avoid and where to be careful. For the first time in my life I acheived brownie skins on a brownie I made! 🥳❤
Sometimes UA-cam’s algorithms rock my world. This is one of those times. I love the science and data behind things. Good Eats got me hooked on it. Thank you so much for this! I love the data. I realize this could be overkill but I imagine a world where I can consult the Sugarologie AI and describe exactly the brownie I want and have it give me the exact recipe.
Sugarology x brownies?? Two of my favorite worlds collide. Oh lord am I excited to make these brownies!!
Omg! I love Erika’s Pancake Princess bake-offs!!💕 so happy to see her in this video!
I sincerely appreciate the spreadsheets, images, production, analysis - I felt like I was reading a peer reviewed recipe in a chemistry journal! I'm binge watching all your videos now! And can't wait to try these tips!
That crackly top research blew my mind! Thank you!
I watched this video three times then followed the link to your 'Sugarologie’s Fudgy-Chewy Brownies' recipe and made them.
I did EXACTLY as stated in the recipe and didn't change a thing.
After making about 7 other recipes from YTube lately, I have to conclude that these turned out better than any of the others for me.
I was curious how they would turn out using powdered sugar (or icing sugar as we all it in the UK) and I was very pleasantly surprised.
These are definitely great. Thank you ❤
This video is mind blowing. You’re completely changing the way I see food!
Very enlightening video, and I love to see baking and cooking UA-camrs building on each other's ideas!
Let me just say; I wish you taught a class when I was in school, I would’ve absolutely paid attention. Ur explanations are so on point and easy to understand
I always bake kitchen conundrums - everyday food's the perfect science behind the perfect brownie recipe and it turns out amazing. it melts the chocolate and butter with benmari method and adds the hot chocolate and butter to white sugar which melts the sugar. It is a video from 8 years ago and it never failed me.
This is the content I came looking for, the algorithm has blessed me today
If you love the combo of chocolate & peanut butter, try this…it’s life changing:
Keep mixing more and more powdered sugar into peanut butter until the mix becomes crumbly (takes some serious elbow grease). Make some brownie batter, fresh or packaged, whichever you prefer (Ghirardelli’s is a good packaged brownie imo) and pour half into a buttered pan. Crumble the peanut butter powdered sugar mix evenly onto the brownie batter in the pan (big chunks are a good thing). Evenly distribute some big chunks of a good milk chocolate onto the PB crumbles in the pan. Then cover with the remaining brownie batter.
FYI: Most store bought powdered sugar has a lot of corn starch in it (organic powdered sugar is the exception) which makes the powdered sugar mealy. A high speed blender or coffee grinder can turn granulated sugar into pure powdered sugar in just over a second.
I love the Pancake Princess! Her blog has guided me to so many great recipes!
looooove that crackly top cookies you briefly showed in the video
A tip i learned for a more fudgy brownie, is from a 3 egg mix, i remove 1 of those white. So 3 yolk to 2 whites. Really works.. for me.
This brownie HITS so hard, it's the best one out there because it's so nice and CHEWY, that is what I want in a brownie. Absolutely stellar techniques of blooming the cocoa with the hot brown butter. I experimented and used half/half dutch and natch cocoas, and then I put 1/4 tsp baking soda in to neutralize the natch. Next time I think I will experiment mixing the cocoa with brown sugar and the hot butter could liquefy the brown sugar and bloom the cocoa. May not be necessary though since powdered sugar dissolved in the eggs works so well with that flaky top.
I just made the Reddit brownies and they were awesome!! I was intrigued by the recipe because of the brown butter, the foaming of the eggs, and the fact that they were supposed to be fudgy while still having a discernible crumb because I don't like fudgy brownies that are made fudgy by simply underbaking... I want a fully baked brownie that still melts in your mouth... This delivered!!!
Two of my favorite baking creators in one video!!!?!? Yay!!
I LOVE chewy brownies, and a good chewy recipe is hard to find, because almost everyone who claims to have the most “amazing brownie recipe” makes a fudgy browny. Even the ones who say they are the chewiest brownies seem to be fudgy. I finally found my favourite recipe a few years ago and it didn’t save in my bookmarks-despite remembering saving it!
The way I distinguish fudgy from chewy is this: fudgy = sticks to your teeth then melts away; chewy = sticks to your teeth for a moment but smacks away cleanly with every chew. I find it’s hard to eat more than one fudgy brownly, as they are so rich they get sickly. But a chewy brownie is very moreish.
Thanks for the vid!
Thank you for taking the time to do the testing, and also for the recipe.
We have a 9x13 of your exact brownie recipe in the oven as I type this.
I can't yet speak to the finished result, but I did want to share a mini-revelation that I had while baking these ..
I'm a passionate and detail oriented home baker and I've always hoped that one of my daughters would share this passion. In the past I've baked with them, but unfortunately I baked like I work; with purpose and not wanting to have my daughter's handle any of the seemingly complicated or technical chores involved.
For whatever reason this recipe in all of its detail and specifics allowed me to relax my overly controlling personality and I just let my oldest girl handle whatever parts of the process that she felt comfortable with. It was tricky at first because I kept catching myself hovering over her shoulder as she mixed like an over protective father... 😅
When I was able to just relax and enjoy the process with her it was an incredible feeling, for both of us!
Thank you for making your recipe so specific that I was able to realize a baking connection with my daughter, without getting in my own way. 👍👍😍
Was this brownie overly sweet?
These are the opposite of what I want in a brownie, which is basically flat cake.
But I am _here_ for the science, and will probably watch this multiple times.
Check out "wacky cake," aka "depression cake." No eggs, no butter, no milk, and uses vinegar/baking soda as the leavening. It creates a dense, moist chocolate cake.
I have the perfect recipe for your flat cake! Reply if you like and I’ll post it here😁
@@PitifulDelaymy half Serbian wife has a recipe for this; the Serbs call it “fast cake” (as in fasting, not speed). Very good and inherently vegan too.
I am late to the party here but does anyone know of a good vegan brownie recipe? I haven't liked what I've tried so far.
Thank you, I learned a lot and appreciated getting a better understanding of ratios as I use those in bread baking. Not to throw a wrench into any of this but I wonder if you have looked at chilling the batter in the fridge? You are probably aware of the recipe, "100 hour brownies'' by Alvin? I started with his recipe as a base to create my own version but I kept two vital strategies: 1) chill the batter for 3 days in the fridge and 2) after baking put in the freezer for 30 minutes ( fridge up to 24 hours) to seal moisture in.
I did the 3 days and 30 minutes and the results were something I had never tasted before. IThe result was a fudgy brownie but it was something that I can only describe as close to the inside of a truffle. The chocolate had an intense flavour like I have never experienced -- not a good or bad thing. One observation I picked up from this was that people who don't really like chocolatethat tired it -- loved it! As in ate more than one piece.
I wonder if you tried incorporating these two points into your final recipe and compare and see what you think? Thank you again for your detailed explanation in laymen's terms.
Yes, I have seen that recipe - it looks so good! I tried the 30 min freezer bit on my fudgy chewy brownies and it was delicious, but it was more of a thing I did bc I was I in a rush. The outcome was nice and fudgy. I should add that as a footnote to my recipe; I totally forgot.
As for the resting for 3 days, I was contemplating exploring that since it’s also a common suggestion for cookies. That’s something I haven’t tried to that extent. I’ve done overnight chilling though. Thanks for the suggestions!
@@Sugarologie Thank you for taking the time to read and respond. It is my understanding that NYC bakeries who compete for brownie lovers all chill their batter for a few days. The main reason why I ask you to experiment with it is because the end result is unlike anything I have ever tasted. I really loved it but I can't swear it is a 'brownie'. It is so unusual today to be able to taste something completely new and maybe you will identify it with something else or just a really good brownie. cheers, Greg
After baking, when you put it on the fridge, were they hot? Or cooled to rom temp first? And wrapped?
Thanks for sharing
@@lindapb6529 I give them about 15 minutes while I clear an open rack so the hot pan is not hurting anything else in the freezer. I put them in uncovered. I should mention I prefer parchment lined metal pans 9 x 13". Cover tightly after removing from freezer and I keep them in the fridge. You could also take half. Wrap up and freeze for later use. ps: it is a lot of work, time and ingredients. I have only made this 3x but am thinking of making two batches at once next time. Remember to customize and record your version for future reference. Hope this helps.
It does, 😊 Thanks, @@GregCurtin45
As a food nerd and pharmacist who loves baking and chemistry, this video made me soooooo happy hahaha
I love hearing the science behind the recipes. Thank you 🙏🏻 ❤
I use cupcake Jemma’s brownie recipe only that I add brown butter to mine. It contains no brown sugar but yields very competitive results.
Being a recipie developer and cooking by formula sounds like a super interesting way to approach cooking as a science. I just found your channel from this video so I'm not familiar with your usual style but I like how you approach this recipe with showing your research and findings. Thankyou for a great video to watch, I will give these a try, maybe for chiristmas. Cheers!
I've tried so many different brownie recipes, but haven't found one that definitively makes the best brownies yet, so I'm definitely trying this one!!
OMG! I just found your channel and I am in love! The research driven focus, the attention to detail...all to perfect recipes...simply magnifique! Thank you!
Came for the brownie recipe, subscribed for the science-backed recipe development! Love this type of content! Keep it up!
I'd always had the idea of making brownies using brown sugar and brown butter because they're the two ingredients that make chocolate chip cookies. So good, it must make brownies good too.
Well I've this recipe now, and I've got to say this is my go-to recipe. Now. Is the perfect flavor and texture combination for what I like in a brownie.
Thank you for making this!
Thanks for the video, I didn’t even know I need this, but I’m so happy to see your analysis on this topic! I’ve been confused about brownies for years already!
I have heard too that if you refrigerate the brownie batter overnight, it helps give that skin on top as well. Im gonna try that
Love the scientific rigor in this exploration of brownie recipies. Very well done!
until now I always melted and mixed powdered sugar, butter and a pinch of salt in a microwave, but kept the chocolate bar chunked (melts in the oven). results were pretty decent, really have no complaints but will definitly try melting the chocolate next time :)
If science class was like this, I’d be so interested
Ok, class, today your quiz will entail taste testing 20 brownie recipes to assess the moisture content 🤓
Adriana, thanks so much for this. I've been looking for a recipe to repurpose my failed black cocoa buttercream of yours (I'm working on it) and this looks like the perfect one. I didn't know how I was going to rationalise using 226g of butter in something but now I have the exact recipe to do it - like, exact! 😂. Thank you!
PS. It actually worked. The water content was a little higher, but like you said, it just means they’re more fudgey which is never a bad thing.
man this is so an underrated channel, i really enjoy your video content soo much
I've watched this video 3 times now. I LOVE learning about cooking and ingredients in this way. Learning about what ingredients do what when mixed with other ingredients (and how our bodies react to them but thats a whole other topic lol), is just so interesting to my brain! I think i like watching videos like this bc i know i would have SO much fun with cooking and baking experiments side by side like this, tweaking a recipe just enough to see what happens. I could deep dive on ingredients all day if time would allow me! This was such an informative video! Thank you to the creator! Gained a sub from me and i can't wait to explore more of their content! :D
I can see the effort that went into this video!
Prefect brownies have:
Whipped eggs and sugar at least 10 min
Dutch process cocoa
Dark chocolate
My mum said it was sugar that created the skin and it mainly happens in the liquid batter when you melt sugar and butter together and that the ratios favour more sugar than flour e.g mud cakes and brownies. She said it was similar to how you separate salt from the water and that it's the salt that remains after the water evaporates. I'm guessing its the water from the butter that it connected to the sugar that' has evaporated leaving behind the sugar that's on the top of the cake.
Have you ever tried adding milk powder to the step "brown the butter" to increase more milk solids being browned for a more flavour
wow, very interesting analysis, brining up techniques and formulas to control the oversaturation of the sugar, leading to the brittle and elegant surface!
there could very tons of applications for this, like the cookies you exemplified
The one part most bakeries do that was left out of all this was the rest before baking. The better is normally made the night before and not cooked till morning. This way the flour fully hydrates creating a nicer fudgy crumb
Iv used, brown, caster, dark brown, vannilla and golden syrup as sugars and all had flakey tops. Less than 1/5 of the sugar as set honey, and the tops had zero crack.
So much effort and research went into this. Just makes me feel lucky that I can just buy a pack of brownie mix at my local supermarket, add some butter and water and get the perfect brownie every time with less than 10 minutes of work.
So interesting! I always thought about fudgy vs cakey, not fudgy vs chewy!
Did you look at the effect of baking to a specific internal temp? ("underbaking") It seems like underbaking will give a moister, fudgier result. David Seymour also did a video testing someone else's recipe and it involved covering the pan as soon as it's out of the oven and putting it in the freezer to bring the temperature down quickly - maybe prevent moisture loss?
omg your videos are insanely detailed THANK YOU SO MUCH 🫶🫶
This is such a good video! I was wondering how this finding would affect chocolate chip cookies and lo' and behold you showed it. Thanks so much!
the amount of effort put into this video though mad respect
Wow! the essential info we never thought we needed...and now, will never ignore.
One time I made chocolate chip cookies with powdered sugar because that was all I had, and ended up with a shiny, crinkly top. I never put two and two together. 😆
As a bit of an outsider to cooking, I've always thought of it as being essentially edible chemistry. Learning the details about the chemical reactions that makes ingredients behave the way they do is hella neat, I wish more people taught recipes like this
I have never baked anything, and probably never will, but I absolutely loved this video!
This is so geeky and I love it! Thank you for sharing your knowledge generously
Great video! Love the analytical approach 😊 do you have any tips on avoiding the eggs altogether (maybe replacing with oil and plant-based milk or something) ?
instant subscribe. i love food channels with a scientific approach. well done lady.
Y'know this is what I always envisioned how the internet was gonna be years ago! haha :) An idea/request is made...suggestions shared/laid out...the best ideas get synthesized into one, that incorporates all the most desirable elements. Then...you have your video...visually breaking it down even further giving us the science behind it all, so at each step of the way one can know what is taking place and going on. Incredible!
All of this is awesome I gotta say! And thanks for sharing your video on this. I've seen the recipe myself and have resisted because I don't experiment w my DARK CHOCOLATE lol. Maybe the cheaper stuff but not that. So seeing your breakdown and seeing what is "within the margins" for chocolate helps tremendously.
And NOW that I've seen your video, I'll give it a try. Thanks again for sharing and adding value w your insights & expertise!
I'm sorry buy I am in LOVE with the science you have provided us to one of the most scrumptious desserts of all time. You have outdone yourself with your research and experimentation. This is just - wow. I appreciate brownies so much more now. And I have a deeper knowledge of what makes the perfect brownie. The best recipe has eluded me thus far. I look forward to making that perfect brownie once and for all. Thank youuuuu!
OMGGGG!!! two of my favourite underrated UA-cam Bakers!!! Love you both! ANd this is such perfect timing - i plan to make brownies for one of my friends next weekend!
You are incredible! And the video was so beautifully shot. I can’t even eat brownies but I watched the whole video with relish.
Thank you for the thorough video. Love all the explanations!
I love this video and how analytic it is, helped me debug my no crust brownies. The issue is I can't deal with so much sugar in pastries.. First off it's insanely unhealthy and I'm the kind of person that can't stop eating stuff until it's gone, and the other reason is that I'm used to reducing sugar in almost every recipe I ever make because USSUALY I can deal with the reduction in the quality of the consistency, in exchange for not suffering from the pastry being overly sweet for me.. But brownies without crust drive me mad. 😅
so glad i found this through the youtube algorithm! i am super fascinated. looking forward to watch your videos!
* I made a second batch after wondering if I had made any mistakes in the process. This time I omitted the chocolate and let the butter cool to warm before mixing with the cocoa. While the bitterness did decrease, it still lingered. Items with excessive cocoa (I used Callebaut here), at least to my palate, tend to have a hint of burnt rubber and be a bit flat.
The texture and look of the brownie is indeed quite nice, but the taste is just not that pleasant. Maybe subbing some of the cocoa for flour, incorporating melted chocolate into the batter, increasing the sugar, and using chips on the sweeter side might help.
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This recipe had me intrigued as it is quite different from the ones I usually make so I went ahead I made a batch. While it does deliver on the crackly top and has a slightly chewy texture, the flavor was exceedingly bitter, as its very dark color on the video seemed to indicate. I did use a 70% chocolate, but even when I ate around the melted chips the bitterness remained (the brownie cooked for less than the recommended time and I checked the temperature so it was definitely not burnt). The proportion of cocoa to sugar seems to be way too high. Also, I think browning the butter, though not necessarily a difficult or time-consuming step, seems unnecessary here as the its flavor is not noticeable.
The explanations are interesting and I might test them on other brownie recipes in the future but I would strongly advise making a small test batch before making a full pan to see if it suits your taste.
Interesting, thanks for sharing. Could it have been the cocoa you used that was bitter?
And, for clarification, to which recipe are you referring ? Few are mentioned.
Thanks!
I'm so glad this popped up in my recommended. I love nerding out to stuff like this lmao
I would love to see some of the formulas you opted to forgo in favour of the quick tips!
Not sure why the algorithm suggested this video to me, but I have to say it was the most interesting brownie video I've ever seen!
OMG.....I never knew i cared so much about Brownies.
Great job on this video!!! The way you explain everything was amazing. I loved how you showed and explained the different examples. They way you breakdown the scientific side was amazing also. I am looking forward to trying to make your perfect brownies.
I am a first time viewer and going to be a new subscriber.
You don’t need espresso or chocolate. Just use a dutch processed cocoa and it will be perfect. Also, no need for brown sugar, dissolve the white sugar in butter and mix in flour and cocoa. I’ve tried them all and this simple approach is the best.
This guy: finds video of two baking experts who also tried multiple approaches and did so scientifically and explained what you should do depending on what kind of brownie you want, scoffs, opens comment section
Thank you for putting the temperature reading for when they are done. It's very annoying when cookbooks or channels will go into great detail about the proper temp for meats but when it comes to baked goods they wave their hands and say "cook until done"