Q: I make brownies at home frequently, and and have noticed that some brownies bake up with a matte top that almost looks granular. Other times, I get lucky and the brownie crust looks shiny with minor cracks — much more attractive and alluring! How can I get that shiny chocolate-y top every time?
I often use brownie recipes where the butter and chocolate are melted together. Egg content can vary from 2 to 4, depending on which recipe I use. So is it the eggs, the method, or the recipe?
Sent by Maureen
Editor: Maureen, according to Shirley Corriher, the author of BakeWise, that shiny, crackly crust is actually a very thin layer of meringue that arises when eggs are beaten into creamed butter and sugar. You can encourage its formation by beating the batter for longer than usual after adding the eggs and before adding any other ingredients. Here's a little more info:
→ How To Get a Crunchy Top on Brownies
Readers, do you have any other advice for getting shiny, crackly-topped brownies?
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What I've always done is to mix my last egg in toward the final stir, and not to over mix at that point. Works for me.
The shiny-crackly top is also a function of how much sugar is in the recipe. Brown sugar doesn't work...you need granulated sugar. I've seen brownie recipes with granulated sugar ranging from 3/4 cup to over 2 cups. Possibly try adding an extra 1/4 cup granulated sugar to the recipe.
Are you using cocoa powder or unsweetened chocolate baking squares? The squares always give me a crackly top. Just use the recipe on the box.
I actually did some experiments once, to figure this out! I made several batches, varying the ingredients slightly. You have to use white sugar to get a crackly top. I was going for chewy with a crackly top, and I ended up using less flour and only one egg. Basically you have butter and sugar held together by chocolate!! I made mexican hot chocolate brownies during my experiments, but this would work for regular brownies, too.
http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/2012/01/24/mexican-hot-chocolate-brownies-chewy-v-cake-y/
I've read that the crackly top comes from the egg whites and that the more whisking, the better. I have not tested this theory, though.
King Arthur Flour recommends making the batter in a mixer and also heating the butter and sugar together to get a shiny crust. I've made these for other people, who loved them, but I prefer more fudginess myself.
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2009/02/12/serious-brownie-points/
Thanks to everyone for their suggestions re: sugar, eggs, and mixing. Will be getting out my hand mixer and whipping that brownie batter tonight!
My comment is coming a bit late. My recipe calls for melting the butter and chocolate together first. I add the sugar to this and mix very well while the mixture is still very warm, partially dissolving the sugar. The eggs are then added and mixed very well. I've found that if I add the sugar while the mixture is warm, I can reliably reproduce the beautiful, shiny top every time.
The key to getting that shiny, crackly top on brownies is to make sure the sugar is well-dissolved in the batter. Before adding the flour, make sure the batter is very shiny and that it doesn't feel too grainy between the fingers, and make sure to scrape the bowl well between each addition of ingredients, and at the end!