Ask Me Help Desk - Baked Brownies Tonight and They Got Really Hard. What Might Have Gone Wrong?

Baked Brownies Tonight and They Got Really Hard. What Might Have Gone Wrong?

Hi, All!

I baked brownies tonight and they turned out really hard after cooling.

Any ideas as to what might have gone wrong with them? They also turned out really thin. I did follow all of the directions.

Thanks!

Baking powder too old.

What ingredients did you use?

Can you post the recipe?

It was a mix that was in a bag, not a bag that was in a box.

I'll have to go get the bag...

Also note if there was a "cake-like" and "fudge-like" modifications to the recipie.

It's a Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie Mix Made with Dutch cocoa.

10.25 ounces

Need 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons of water and one egg.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. (Or, 325 degrees F for dark or nonstick pan).

Grease bottom only of 8 inch square pan. (I used a standard aluminum pan, 13''x9"x2".)

Stir brownie mix, oil, water and egg with spoon about 50 times (batter may be lumpy). Spread in pan.

Bake 26 to 28 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out almost clean, cool.

Expiration date is Feb. 2011.

Not specified was the size of the pan.

Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by KeepItSimpleStupid

Also note if there was a "cake-like" and "fudge-like" modifications to the recipie.

There are those instructions at the bottom of the bag under the general instructions.

Pan was too big. (8*13)/(8*8)*100 too big ~2x.

May have head too much egg (based on previous post)

Baking time should have been shorter for a thinner layer of batter.

In short, you dried them out.

I suspected that the pan was too big.

But, would you mind explaining what is below, please?

Quote:

Originally posted by KeepItSimpleStupid

(8*13)/(8*8)*100 too big ~2x.

Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clough

It's a Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie Mix Made with Dutch cocoa.

10.25 ounces

Need 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons of water and one egg.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. (Or, 325 degrees F for dark or nonstick pan).

Grease bottom only of 8 inch square pan. (I used a standard aluminum pan, 13''x9"x2".)

Stir brownie mix, oil, water and egg with spoon about 50 times (batter may be lumpy). Spread in pan.

Bake 26 to 28 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out almost clean, cool.

Expiration date is Feb. 2011.

Not specified was the size of the pan.

Thanks!

It looks light they did specify, or am I missing something:confused:

Your pan was almost twice as large as it should have been.

I read it wrong. I thought that it said "Grease bottom only if 8-inch square pan".

Oops! :o

Would a white casserole dish work for the baking?

Yes:)
I use clear glass, old tin, dark pans and ceramic white. Just watch your stuff and do the toothpick test:D

Then, I think that I'll try it again tonight!

I'll let you know how it works out!

Thanks!

Hey Clough... they are still chocolate! Dip them in milk unless you can use them for a hammer? :eek::rolleyes::):D

Stringer

Really probably much better to be used as a hammer! Cooled down, and I mean this, hard as cement! :eek:

When I tipped the pan over, they (the cement sheet of brownies) fell out and broke into big pieces all over the table! That being even though I didn't think that I'd ever get them out of the pan!

Then there has to be an alternate use for them after all you went to the trouble of making them right? Now there is a new thread for you. :)

EDIT ::: I am on borrowed time here buddy... I really should be sleeping... I know... soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stringer

Then there has to be an alternate use for them after all you went to the trouble of making them right? Now there is a new thread for ya. :)

EDIT ::: I am on borrowed time here buddy...I really should be sleeping.......................................... ........I know...soon.

Oh, I know! A sidewalk paved in brownies! :D

I already mentioned about you needing to get up SHORTLY on Alty's first chit-chat thread.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clough

Oh, I know! A sidewalk paved in brownies! :D

I already mentioned about you needing to get up SHORTLY on Alty's first chit-chat thread.

You're right I need to exert more self control... I am off to bed... night my friend.

Brownies - Take Two!

In about 45 minutes, we'll all know...

I hope that using one jumbo egg is going to be okay!

Let's see now...

Is that 350 or 550 degrees? :confused: I'm having trouble seeing the directions! :eek:

Just took them out of the oven. So far, so good!

I'm getting my hopes up, here! :)

They're a little crispy around the inside edges of the casserole dish. That's okay.

Now, it's time for some icing! Then a test eat! :D

:D !!!!Success!!!! :D

Congrats! :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by Just Dahlia

Congrats!!:D

Thanks!

The crispiness around the edges actually makes things chewier, but not so much that they're not enjoyable to eat.

If you hadn't let me know that it was okay to use a casserole dish JD, I most likely would have been looking forever for another type of pan that was 8" square, that to me, was what I had in my mindset about that in which we might bake pastries.

I'm now out of my mindset, that the only types of pans for baking pastries are the light and dark, clear glass and the pans and sheets that are made of aluminum.

Thanks again! :)

Think square inches. 8 x 8 = 64, so a 10 x 6.4 would work too.

So would round ones and elipses work, but they require a bit more math.

Okay, thanks!

I hadn't thought about that, KISS!

Gives me some additional options! I do have some pans and dishes that are oblong.

Clough:

Here is an area calculator for elipses using just length and width. Ellipse Area Calculator

Of course 3.14*(D/2)*(D/2) is the area of a circle.

Another way of writing PI*R^2 where R is the diameter divided by 2.

The idea, though is being able to ESTIMATE the area of the pan.
5 x 12 is about 60 sq inches. You might have an eliptical pan about this size.

This (64 sqin) also translates to a 9" diameter round pan.

I can't "speak" in that "language" yet, KISS! So, it's way over my head...

I sure would like to be able to think in those sort of terms, though!

See, your learning math. Computing areas. I'm sure you do this when painting walls or refinishing decks.

What's so different about odd shapes.
Everybody should know the area of:

A square
A circle
A rectangle
A triangle

I'll admit, the ellipse from the outer dimensions is not known.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clough

I can't "speak" in that "language" yet, KISS! So, it's way over my head...

I sure would like to be able to think in those sort of terms, though!

I can't either. I just 'eye' my pans and pots, seems to work out.:)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clough
I can't "speak" in that "language" yet, KISS! So, it's way over my head...

I sure would like to be able to think in those sort of terms, though!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Just Dahlia

I can't either. I just 'eye' my pans and pots, seems to work out.:)

I'm glad to know that I'm not alone here! :)

Brownies were on sale and I had people coming over. I made brownies yesterday a little cake like and they all got ate. Today I made a different kind fudge like and are really fudgy. If I didn't know any better I would think they were not done. I'm sure they will be gone as soon as everybody gets back.:)

I made a 7-up cake last week and it was gone in 2 days with two people eating it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KeepItSimpleStupid

I made a 7-up cake last week and it was gone in 2 days with two people eating it.

What's a 7-up cake?

7-up Cake Recipes

It' very important to beat for at least 20 minutes or more. Easy way to tell, the sound of the mixer changes.

Used 1 tsb Lemon and 1 Vanilla extracts

You can use Margarine. I made it with 1/2 butter and 1/2 margarrine.

And my own addition:

I "flour" the pan this way:
Grease with shortning
Sprinkle with Confectioner's sugar (Yes - SUGAR)
Sprinkle with flour
Turn over pan and hit it to remove excess.

I've heard of 7Up cakes. Will have to try making one, sometime.

1 Attachment(s)

Not to get off subject, but why are there metal tabs sticking up on my Angel food cake pan? I have always just thought that I was missing a part, since my pan is so old, but this is how they sell them.
Attachment 30692
Edit, this picture is from Wikipedia

With angel food cakes you have to have some distance for the cake to drop because they don't drop by themselves like regular cakes do. You typically turn the pan over and WAIT for the cake to come out.

The old way was to place the tube pan on top of a funnel. Consider yourself having a MODERN tube pan. It has legs eliminating the funnel.

Clough:

Prepare a few hours to make it. 1-1/4 baking, 30 min mixing and say 30 min cleaning up.