How To Keep Brownies From Getting Hard?
When your dessert craving strikes in the middle of the day, treat yourself to some yummy easy-to-make brownies. Most brownie recipes have almost the same basic ingredients, so it is easy to find everything instantly at home.
Baking at home means you have to pay extra attention to the recipe details; otherwise, you will end up having hard and dry brownies. From mixing the ingredient to putting them in the oven to cool down the brownies, every step needs to be accurate to have moist, chewy, and melty brownies.
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Why do brownies get hard?
Let’s see some possible reasons for brownies getting hard.
1-Over mixed batter :
Separately mix the dry and the wet ingredients, then pour down the dry ingredients in small portions into the wet ones and lightly fold the mixture. Do not over-mix. Use an electric mixer on low and beat the batter for just 1 minute.
Over-mixing the ingredients will result in hard and dry brownies when they come out of the oven.
2-Over baked:
Always cut the baking time short by three to five minutes compared to the given recipe. Then, check the brownies from the center with a toothpick to see if they are done. If they are still not done, bake them for a few more minutes.
3-Temperature is high in the oven:
The baking temperature set for the brownies is sometimes high, which makes with hard and dry. Always put it according to your oven.
4-Baked in a dark-colored pan
Dark colored pan tends to burn the brownies, especially from the edges, so better to avoid it.
5-Pan is not adequately greased:
Grease the pan thoroughly before putting the batter in. the corner and bottom should be appropriately brushed, followed by butter paper on the top.
6-Not stored in the right way
Put the brownies in an air-tight container at room temperature. Refrain from crowding the jar. Each brownie can also be packed in foil or clink separately and then put in the container.
How to keep brownies from getting hard?
If you have followed the mixing and baking steps correctly, and your brownies should come out soft, gooey, and chewy, then it the time to store them properly.
Always store the brownies in separate foil or plastic wrap and put them into an air-tight jar. By this method, the brownies will remain fresh and not get hard or dry for a few days.
But if the brownies have some sort of topping on them, such as cream cheese or chocolate ganache, they should be put into an air-tight container and refrigerated.
How to keep brownies from getting hard overnight?
1- Avoid making the pieces
If you have baked the brownies for a party one day before, avoid cutting them into pieces. Instead, get an air-tight container the size of a full brownie and store it at room temperature.
2- Put it in an airtight jar
Always put the brownies in an airtight jar. Air is the enemy of brownies.
3- Add a slice of bread to the container
Adding a slice of bread to the container of brownies will keep them moist and away from staling.
4- Dip it with chocolate ganache
Dipping the brownies into chocolate ganache will prevent them from getting hard. It makes the sponge moist and soft even the next day.
5- Put them at room temperature
Put the brownies at room temperature if you plan to consume them the next day.
6- Refrigerate them for longer use
Put the jar in the fridge if you wish to eat it for a few days. Again it should be wrapped in foil or plastic individually.
7- Freeze them for prolonged use
Brownies can be frozen longer if stored in a zip lock bag without contacting each other.
How to soften hard brownies?
We assume you have landed on this blog because you want to soften a hard brownie immediately. Right?
The only instant way to soften the hard brownies is to microwave them for a few seconds. Don’t overdo it to avoid another upset day. Do it for five to ten seconds, depending on the power of your microwave.
How to soften hard brownies without a microwave?
You can put brownies in the oven again to get your hands on moist and soft brownies again. But for that, you have to preheat the oven to 300F and put the brownies in for around 2-3 minutes.
Stay within that time so it will not become overcooked and fall apart.
If you have time, you can keep the brownies in an air-tight jar along with a few pieces of white bread spread around the brownies. Leave it for a day or two, your brownies should come out soft.
What to do with hard brownies?
Don’t be upset when you lose all hope and the brownies are not getting soft by any means. We have some yummy solutions to utilize these hard brownies.
1- Add it to the milkshake
Crush the hard brownies into crumbs and add them to any milkshake you prefer. For example, it goes well with banana, chocolate, or oreo milkshakes.
2- Use it as a base for cheesecake or any kind of layered dessert
Crush the hard brownies into crumbs and use them as a base layer for layered desserts such as trifles, cheesecakes, or tiramisu.
3- Crush and sprinkle it on cold coffee
Adding crushed brownies to the cold coffee will lift its all-over taste and be different from the traditional ones.
4-Sprinkle crushed brownies on icecream
Take any flavor of ice cream and sprinkle crushed brownies on it. We bet you will add more after having the first bite.
What to do with leftover brownies?
If you are left with brownies and don’t feel like having them anymore, we have listed some twisted ideas to enjoy them in new ways.
1- Make an ice cream sandwich
Take two brownies, put a scoop of ice cream between them and enjoy an ice cream sandwich at home.
2- Make brownie trifle
Place the leftover brownies in a tray and spread a mixture of heavy cream and sugar, followed by whipped cream and crushed brownie crumbs. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
3- Make brownie pudding
Set all the brownies in a tray and add box-made pudding over it when it is warm. Refrigerate for a couple of hours to enjoy the instant twist.
4- Make brownie balls
Crush the brownies in a bowl, and add some cream cheese to gather the mixture. Make balls with this mixture and dip them in melted chocolate. Place each ball at a distance in a tray with butter paper. Refrigerate it for 3-4 hours.
Final words:
Brownies may become hard because of over-mixing the batter, not greasing the pan properly, over-backing, or storing the brownies incorrectly.
Ensure to follow the recipe properly and put your brownies in an air-tight jar after they are done.
Whether your brownies are hard or not, put a piece of white bread in the brownie jar to keep them from getting hard.
