Ina Garten's Firm Opinion On How To Properly Make Brownies
Brownies have been around for over a hundred years, according to The Nibble. The chocolatey sweets were likely invented in 1905 by cookbook author Fanny Farmer, who invented the new dessert by altering her chocolate cookie recipe and baking it in a different pan. Today, the cakey, fudgy treats can be made with a wide variety of additions to complement the chocolate base, from cream cheese to caramel to butterscotch.
Food Network's Ina Garten hosts "Barefoot Contessa" on TV, but in her free time, she can often be found hosting get-togethers with friends and family. She loves hosting parties so much, in fact, that she even wrote a whole cookbook of party-perfect recipes (via her website). She's no stranger to baking delicious desserts (her website has an entire section) and of course, she's a brownie expert. Though there are an almost infinite number of variations of brownie recipes out there these days, Ina Garten has a strong opinion on the best way to bake them.
She never leaves out this key ingredient
Ina feels strongly about the right way to make brownies — so much so that she jokes anyone who leaves this ingredient out "should be arrested," according to a Food Network YouTube video for her brownie pudding. Garten melts down two sticks (one cup) of butter in her brownie pudding recipe and allows it to cool for a bit before adding it to the brownie batter. If the recipe you are using for brownies calls for oil instead, Betty Crocker states that butter can be swapped in at the same amount.
Using melted butter in your baked goods adds an extra layer of moisture, according to Food Network. Garten says that once done, they should be baked on the outside, but soft "like pudding" on the inside. Adding melted butter also creates a richer flavor, and allows the other ingredients to blend more seamlessly when mixing them all together. Once the brownies are baked, allow them to cool before slicing them up and taking a bite.