Cooking

Freshly baked brownies often make for a classic and comforting dessert. A great brownie is bitter and sweet at the same time with textural bites and a crackly top against chewy edges. Here’s how to perfect your next brownie batch to be rich, a little dense, and packed with flavor. Use Good Chocolate. Look for quality chocolate when shopping for ingredients. It may be an obvious tip but the best recipe can’t be executed properly with a sub-par chocolate. Beat the eggs and sugar together first. If you’re looking for a brownie with a glossy, crackling top try whipping the eggs and sugar together first. Usually you’ll mix all the ingredients at once, but with this method you build the brownie’s structure and incorporate just the right amount of air. You’ll end up with a perfect lift. Use dark brown sugar. Even if your recipe calls for granulated sugar, swap out at least half or all with brown sugar. Brown sugar contains molasses which once baked will leave brownies chewier and fudgier. Look for dark brown sugar instead of light brown as it’ll have more flavor. Add extra chocolate. When your brownies are ready for the oven, add a few more chunks of chocolate. These chunks will turn into puddles of melted chocolate when baked. Bang the pan. About halfway through baking, remove the pan and bang it on the counter to help the brownies collapse. The brownies will crack more along the top and end up denser by removing any excess air. Repeat the process once they’re done baking. Under-bake them. Cut the bake time by five minutes or less if you want more fudgy brownies. The edges should be puffed and set, but the toothpick test in the center should leave a little bit of batter on the stick. Brownies will continue to bake for a few minutes once they’re out of the oven. Add a sprinkle of salt. Salt and chocolate work together since they balance the chocolate’s complex flavors. Add a pinch of sea salt on the brownies once they’re out of the oven. If you’ve put extra chunks of chocolate as outlined above, the puddles will help the salt stick. Source: the Kitchn

Wax paper and parchment paper are not interchangeable, especially for baking. They both look similar with a dull sheen and serve a similar purpose to prevent sticking. They can be used to line counters or create barriers for sticky doughs. Wax paper is the more cost-effective of two and is ideal for rolling out pie crust, cooking or kneading bread. Wax paper will adhere to items that have moisture such as deli meat or cheese. One critical difference between the two is parchment paper can go in the oven where wax cannot. Parchment paper is treated chemically to withstand exposure to heat, liquids and oils. A wax paper is triple-waxed to be food-safe but isn’t heatproof. This coating will melt if put in the oven, or even catch fire at high heats. Parchment paper can withstand heat up to 420 degrees Fahrenheit, making it appropriate for most baking. It’s also a great substitute for aluminum foil for lining baking sheets. Save your wax paper for lining a countertop or wrapping up foods. You can even curl it up into a cone to funnel excess ingredients to their containers. Source: Simply Recipes

A white wine is essential to bring balance, fruit and acidity to many recipes. Although grocery stores carry cooking wine, you’ll find even moderately priced white wine expands possibilities and cooking styles. By far one of the best wines to cook with is a dry, crisp white wine. A rich, oaky white can become bitter during the cooking process, while a sweeter white may caramelize or add unwanted sweetness to dishes. If a wine is cooked it will lose almost all the subtle nuances. Therefore if you’re using a high-quality wine it’s best to finish a dish with it instead. Otherwise, use a moderately priced, quaffable white wine and spend the extra money on premium ingredients. Crisp White Wine. An example would be Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Unoaked Chardonnay. These are going to be your go-to’s since there is a moderate alcohol content and generous acidity. A highly alcoholic wine will take longer to reduce and often lack in acidity. Pinot Grigio is the most neutral of the three, making it the most versatile. A Sauvignon Blanc gives more acidity which is perfect for seafood dishes or sauces utilizing heavy cream. Dry Sherry. Sherry is versatile, great for deglazing and bringing depth to a cream sauce. It’s perfect alongside appetizers such as oysters. If you add a dash of Sherry to a soup, you’ll have another layer of depth and dimension with an extra brightness. Dry Marsala. Although classic in a chicken or veal Marsala, you can incorporate this wine in braised preparations. Try adding it to a decadent zabaglione. Sparkling Wine. Perfectly suited for a Champagne vinaigrette or a sorbet. It’s also great as a substitute for dry, white wine in a beurre blanc. The bubbles from the wine will dissipate when cooked, so it’s a great opportunity when you find yourself with any leftover bubbly. Dry Madeira. This Portuguese fortified wine is produced in four distinct styles. A “sercial” dry style doubles as a refreshing aperitif. You can use this wine in a sauce for classic Beef Wellington or a savory addition to gravy. It’s also a substitute for Sherry in nearly every recipe. Source: the Kitchn

A self-rising flour is an ingredient found in scones, muffins or biscuits. If you don’t have it on hand, no weed to worry; there’s a good chance you have everything already at home. This flour is used in all types of baked goods, even some cake recipes. It’s a convenient shortcut as the flour will cause the batter or dough to expand while the salt will season the final baked good. A self-rising flour is not a substitute for all-purpose flour. Most of the time, a recipe that calls for all-purpose flour will include baking powder and salt in the ingredient list. Using a self rising flour will result in an abundance of baking powder and salt, possibly ruining the recipe. Prep time: 5 minsTotal time: 5 minsYield: 1 cup Ingredients 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt Directions Combine the ingredients, then whisk: Add the flour, baking powder, and sea salt to a bowl, then whisk thoroughly to combine. Label and store: Use the self-rising flour right away or store it in a labeled airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 year. Source: Simply Recipes

A homemade muffin is the best answer to an easy breakfast while heading to the office. However, even a good blueberry muffin often faces a problem when the fruit sinks to the bottom and bursts, gluing itself to the paper lining or pan. One trick to solving this dilemma is holding off on mixing the fruit in your muffin batter. Instead, drop a bit of the plain batter to each muffin cavity to create a thin layer. You can then gently fold in your mix-ins to the remaining batter. Proceed with placing the mixed batter over the plain batter, dividing evenly as needed. Continue to bake as normal. The layer of plain batter at the bottom will prevent the berries from sinking to the bottom of the pan and bursting. This method works with lined or unlined pans, making clean-up a breeze. It’ll also work with other berry mix-ins, dried fruit or even chocolate chips. Source: the Kitchn

There are plenty of tips out there that claim to help you hang onto the color of pesto. From blanching the basil leaves to adding a bit of lemon juice, chefs all have their own tricks for pesto. One trick you probably haven’t heard of: an ice cube. Pesto has come a long way from the traditional mortar and pestle to modern food processors. A step you can skip is the blanching of basil. This process involves tossing the leaves into a pot of boiling water then quickly transferring them to an ice bath and squeezing the leaves dry before blending the pesto. Instead, drop an ice cube into the bowl of the food processor when pulsing the basil. The ice will shock the herbs and prevent them from browning. You can do this with any type of pesto with other herbs and greens such as parsley, mint or arugula. The ice will rattle in the processor at first, but will melt and break down as you pulse the pesto. Any leftover ice bits will dissolve when you blend in the olive oil. You’ll end up with a vibrant green pesto without any complicated techniques or extra steps. Source: the Kitchn