Why You May Want To Consider Under-Baking Your Brownies

Brownies might be the easiest recipe any baker could make, replicated in hundreds of kitchens and bakeries, and made in different shapes and flavors (yes, zucchini brownies exist!). But, regardless of its popularity, there are tons of rumored secrets to unlocking brownie perfection. Many insist that a pinch of salt should be added to the raw mix, while others say the key is the chocolate quality or browning your sugar before preparing. This tends to be entirely subjective as brownie preference varies from foodie to foodie. There are those obsessed with cakey brownies, with a drier texture, while others cheer when they bite a brownie that's gooey with rich and melted chocolate.

If you are a fan of chewier and softer brownies, the secret might not be in the ingredients list but in the process. Yes, adding mascarpone cheese or any type of fat to your brownie mix might enhance the creaminess, but you can actually follow your regular and quick recipe and still get a fudgy texture. According to The Kitchn, baking your brownies a few minutes less than what the recipe says, and removing them while they are still a bit underbaked makes a world of difference.

Handle The Heat explains that the remaining heat of the oven and baking pan will continue cooking the brownies — not entirely — but enough to reach the perfect fudgy texture. So, they are not exactly underbaked, but the edges are a little puffed while the center is still moist. How to know when it's time to remove it from the oven? One technique is removing the brownies before the specific time suggested, or using the classic toothpick test.

After sticking the toothpick in the center of your homemade brownie batch, you'll see a stain of melted chocolate or some moist crumbs. That's how you know your brownies are fudgy — of course, let it set a bit before eating them, you don't want to burn yourself in the first bite. Another great technique is wiggling your pan after taking it out of the oven, and notice if it wobbles a bit in the middle.

Don't worry about health risks, this is not raw batter or undercooked food, just brownies with a more gooey center. According to the CDC, eggs should be cooked a 160°F or hotter in order to be safe to eat. If you want to be extra sure, FOODSGUY suggests using pasteurized eggs instead of farm-fresh ones. With these precautions, you are ready to "underbake" the fudgiest brownies you ever tried.