Paula Deen's Creme De Menthe Brownies Recipe - Food.com (2024)

FAQs

What can I add to brownie mix to make it taste better? ›

In the absence of chocolate in the recipe, baking powder would be the better option to use in making brownies with only cocoa powder. Baking powder is a leavening agent that contains both an acid (such as cream of tartar) and a base (such as baking soda), which react together to create carbon dioxide gas.

Add a teaspoon of instant coffee or espresso powder. Throw in a handful of nuts—pecans, walnuts, macadamia, whatever you have on hand. Scoop in a palmful of dried or frozen fruit. Add an extra splash of the top-shelf vanilla extract, or a dab of vanilla paste, or a dash of vanilla powder, to the batter.

If you opt to add more eggs, say double the amount, something interesting happens. Even though you are adding more moisture, the air bubbles that you catch in the extra eggs add volume, which decreases the density of your final product. This makes your brownies rise and gives them a much more cake-like texture.

One change is to use milk or heavy cream instead of water. This change will make brownies more moist and gooey since milk is more fatty and flavorful than water. A second change is to use butter instead of oil. For similar reasons to using milk, butter adds a rich and more decadent quality to the batter.

As compared to those made with just chocolate or a combination of the two, cocoa brownies are reliably superior in terms of texture and flavor.

The brownies may also collapse in the center or become overly fluffy. Bitter taste: Baking powder contains a small amount of alkaline, which can react with cocoa powder in the brownie batter and create a bitter taste. This can be especially noticeable if too much baking powder is added.

Too much baking powder can cause the batter to be bitter tasting. It can also cause the batter to rise rapidly and then collapse. (i.e. The air bubbles in the batter grow too large and break causing the batter to fall.)

It couldn't be easier to substitute butter for oil using a 1:1 ratio. This should work with olive, canola, vegetable, and coconut oils. Simply melt and cool the butter to room temperature, then continue with your recipe. (If the recipe calls for ½ cup oil, use ½ cup melted and cooled butter.)

How do you keep brownies soft and moist? ›

Airtight Containers

Use parchment paper to layer brownies into an airtight container for best results. Tip: When storing brownies in an airtight container, add a slice of bread in with them. The moisture from the bread will help keep your brownies fresh and soft for a couple more days.

If you like chewy, sticky brownies, I recommend: Betty Crocker Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix. If you like light, less dense brownies with a picture-perfect sugar top that flakes when sliced, I recommend: Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownie Mix.

The first and easiest upgrade you can give to your boxed brownie mix is to add a tablespoon of instant coffee to the batter. Adding coffee to your brownies boosts their flavor because its bitter quality balances out sweetness, making it less overpowering. It allows that delicious chocolate flavor to really shine.

Give your brownies some more substance by adding walnuts, peanuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, or any other nut you have in the pantry. Mix the chopped, toasted nuts into the batter for added crunch, then sprinkle some on top for a nice presentation. Along with the nuts, you can add dried fruit to the mix.

Add coffee or instant espresso powder to your brownies for an even deeper, more complex chocolate flavor. Swirl them with peanut butter, cream cheese, or even pumpkin filling to mix things up. Mix in nuts, add a marshmallow topping, or spread on your favorite frostings for fun, simple, or seasonal twists.

You can absolutely substitute butter for the vegetable oil. Use the same quantity specified in the directions (for example, if it calls for 1/3 cup of oil, use 5 1/3 tablespoons of butter). Melt it down, then let it cool a bit. You might not ever go back to oil!

If you want something that will add moisture to your brownie batter, try using applesauce or a mashed banana. Neither of those are vegetable oil either, but they work pretty well in baked goods. Banana combines well with chocolate. Another possible substitution would be a flax egg.