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I can never get the middle of my brownies "done" without overbaking the outsides. The middle is tasty, but gooey. What is the secret?

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3 Answers

up vote 4 down vote

Oven Temperature

Most ovens keep inaccurate temperatures with respect to your setting. You may be setting it to 350, but it could be baking at 375. I would suggest investing in an oven thermometer. I've seen these for a dollar--well worth the investment.

Baking Vessel

I was surprised to find this out, but the pan color actually affects heat conduction. If you use a non-stick tin, for example, your brownies are more likely to burn. I've seen some people use silicone brownie pans to minimize this kind of uneven cooking.

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Very true. My oven here really guarantees a minimum of 350 when set at 350 (and varies between 350 and 450). All ovens have this variability as they heat and cool, though most are not such a wide range. Also, further to Ray's suggestion above, it is often worth having a good mulitmeter around, and good ones tend to come with a thermistor component. Generally, a thermistor will be more accurate and sensitive than an oven thermometer. – Jonathan Fingland May 13 '11 at 17:36
You can always invest in a convection oven. The fan tends to even out the temperature a bit more. – ashes999 Feb 20 '12 at 17:35
up vote 2 down vote

If your problem is the center of the pan rather than the vertical center of the brownies, you could use "The Edge Brownie Pan" edge brownie pan

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Or, rather than getting a tool that doesn't have a whole lot of uses (although, I think I remember someone telling me that some brands of lasagne noodle fit perfectly in there), you could use a muffin pan to get a similar effect, if you don't mind round brownies. – Joe May 11 '11 at 15:41
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But the center is the best part! =) – duchessofstokesay May 11 '11 at 16:29
up vote 1 down vote

You can put your brownie pan in a larger pan...then fill that larger pan with water about 3/4. cook as normal but the water in the larger pan with help diffuse all the direct heat to the sides.

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AKA a bain-marie. – Aaronut♦ May 11 '11 at 19:34

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