Sharing-It's the Right Thing to Do
Saturday, June 13, 2009 at 11:03PM The following is VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Pay close attention, people. I discovered something recently. I am compelled to share my discovery with the world, just in case there is someone out there who might not know what I did not know up until a few days ago. I did not share right away because I had to confirm what I thought might be true; further data was necessary. Now this is a secret that I cannot keep to myself. It would be wrong.
In the not too distant past I bought a new cake pan. I had no 9x13 metal cake pan, only glass baking dishes. I bought it for Christian's birthday cake, but went a different route with it (I needed a really big cake so I made the Pioneer Woman's sheet cake in a clay jelly roll pan-it was perfect). I considered returning the unused pan, but decided that it might come in handy sometime. Now I know what an important, no, crucial crossroads that was. The other day I planned on taking a meal to a friend who had a baby recently and I wanted to take brownies along with the meal (Hello-oo, new mother with three other children? Brownies, not optional.) Several years ago (I promise this is relevant) I read a book by Edith Schaeffer, wife of Francis Schaeffer, called What is a Family? and she suggests in her book that whenever you make food for another family you also make the same thing for your own family, for they are special, too. (Wow, count how many times I used the word "family" in that sentence...is there a substitute for family? I think not.) I decided this was a good time to try out my new metal cake pan with a double batch of my brownies (they are actually Ghirardelli's brownies, but I've made them so many times that they are practically my own). I paid careful attention to these brownies since doubling a recipe can be tricky, timewise. I made a chocolate cream cheese frosting, topped the brownies, and just to make sure I wasn't sending this family bad brownies (does that even make sense?!) I had a taste-testing.
THE BROWNIES WERE SO GOOD AND MOIST AND SO GOOD WHILE CHEWY ON THE OUTSIDE AND SO GOOD WITHOUT BEING OVERDONE AND DID I MENTION THAT THEY WERE SO GOOD THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE BEST BROWNIES I HAVE EVER HAD!!! THEY WERE SO GOOD.
I quickly covered the pan, lest I eat all of the brownies and have to do all that work over again, plus have the mother of all stomach aches for the next three days. That would defeat the eating of a great piece of chocolatey, gooey, chewy goodness. My initial thought was that it had to have been the pan. I've made these brownies, like I said, many, many times. I've always used a glass dish before, though. I wanted to test out my theory, and since I gave half of the brownies to this other family and we were down to one last portion (three servings or one, depending on who you are) with company coming last night, it was the perfect time to make a new batch. (Um, any time is the perfect time to make a new batch. Right, got it.)
I didn't double the recipe for one dinner guest plus our family, and the only small metal pan I have is a round cake pan. I used that, and found to my absolute delight that these also surpassed all of my previous glass-dish brownies. I have been converted to the metal cake pan club forever. I would hand-wash my metal cake pan if it were dirty in order to make such scrumptious brownies.
Maybe you already knew this information...WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME? If you didn't know it, then I hope you, too, go forth and make delicious, perfect brownies with a metal pan now. And you're welcome.
food, silly in Uncategorized
Reader Comments (7)
hmm, I thought everyone knew this? LOL I've never made brownies in a glass pan...that just doesn't seem "right" to me? :o) Very interesting...I've always been complimented on my brownies...so my mama must've taught me good. hahahah
What do you make cakes in? Again, a metal (non-stick) pan...for me...
Maybe you know something I don't??? :)
You crack me up, Christina. I have not been following your blog as much lately, and I have missed out. You always have a wonderful view on life.
So glad you found the secret to yummy brownies. I never realized about the metal pan, but now that you mention it things make sense. :-)
Forget the pan, I need those BROWNIES!!
YOU are freakin' hilarious.
The Ghiradelli brownie mix is absolutely better than any from scratch recipe I've made. I am a mix snob normally but those things are delicious. I can only imagine that chocolate cream cheese frosting would put them into their own stratosphere.
I don't own a metal 9x13. I use a stoneware one but it is definitely better than my glass pan. I wonder why??
I thought my brownies were pretty good in a glass pan! I think I switched to glass because I had bad experiences with bottom-burned brownies using a metal pan. Or maybe it was because the metal pan was cheap. Or maybe it was because my oven thermometer does not show the correct temperature. I suppose I should stop making excuses and just try it again... :)
I should say that www.fivewalkers.com has lots of interesting information. Looks like the author did a good job. I will be coming back to www.fivewalkers.com for new information. Thank you.