Controversial Topic--Which part of the brownie is the best?

[fairfarmhand]

Edge piece?

Middle Piece?

[EKS]

I voted middle piece.  And I'm fortunate to be married to an edge piece person.

[Terabith]

There's no bad brownie or part of a brownie, but I choose, I choose middle pieces.  

[RootAnn]

Thank goodness for my one edge-piece eater & brownie cheesecake. Between those two, I don't have to eat the edge pieces. Yummy middle all the way.

@CuriousMomof3 It isn't hard to convince 'em because it's true! 

I remember seeing the ads for the "all edge" brownie pan. I couldn't figure out why anyone would want to ruin a whole brownie pan that way.

[LucyStoner]

Corner pieces so I get TWO edges.  I feel very strongly about this.  🤣

[vonfirmath]

I was going to say the Chocolate.

I choose there is nothing wrong with a brownie. I like the edges. I like the middles. I just like brownies.

[Pintosrock]

My inlaws once gave me a maze like brownie pan, so that every piece was an edge. Why on Earth would someone invent such a thing when CLEARLY the middles are the best pieces?!!

[J-rap]

I'm kind of picky.  I don't like ones that are more cake-like so much, but I also don't love ones that are super moist (or fudge-like).  Doesn't matter if it's an edge or corner or middle.  No ice cream.  No nuts.  Enough frosting is important.

My favorite brownie recipe was the Betty Crocker standard brownie recipe that my mother always made, along with the frosting recipe they recommended for them.

Unfortunately I think I had to throw that book away, and I don't think I've made brownies since!

 

[medawyn]

47 minutes ago, EKS said:

I voted middle piece.  And I'm fortunate to be married to an edge piece person.

+1

I mean, I didn’t know pre-marriage that this should be a requirement, but I had good fortune despite my ignorance and am wiser now.

[Matryoshka]

1 minute ago, J-rap said:

I'm kind of picky.  I don't like ones that are more cake-like so much, but I also don't love ones that are super moist (or fudge-like).  Doesn't matter if it's an edge or corner or middle.  No ice cream.  No nuts.  Enough frosting is important.

My favorite brownie recipe was the Betty Crocker standard brownie recipe that my mother always made, along with the frosting recipe they recommended for them.

Unfortunately I think I had to throw that book away, and I don't think I've made brownies since!

Frosting on a brownie is Wrong! 😂  (Said by someone who doesn't even like frosting on cake - on brownies it is right.out.) 😜

And I'm a middle person, and nuts are awesome.  But I would never dis a nutless edge piece - without frosting....

[J-rap]

1 minute ago, Matryoshka said:

Frosting on a brownie is Wrong! 😂  (Said by someone who doesn't even like frosting on cake - on brownies it is right.out.) 😜

And I'm a middle person, and nuts are awesome.  But I would never dis a nutless edge piece - without frosting....

Haha -- well we wouldn't need to argue about who gets the last brownie then!  Sounds like we like different types altogether.  But without frosting???  So, nothing on top??

[HS Mom in NC]

I dream of the day we can all recognize the unique and equal beauty of each type of brownie.

[Matryoshka]

2 minutes ago, J-rap said:

Haha -- well we wouldn't need to argue about who gets the last brownie then!  Sounds like we like different types altogether.  But without frosting???  So, nothing on top??

There should never be anything on top of a brownie other than crinkles. 😋

But seriously, I don't think I've ever even seen a frosted brownie.  (I have seen frosted cake.... just don't much like it... esp. buttercream, ew.  I scrape most of it off  - ganache and cream cheese frosting are much more edible) .  But do others regularly frost brownies??  With what?

[J-rap]

1 minute ago, Matryoshka said:

There should never be anything on top of a brownie other than crinkles. 😋

But seriously, I don't think I've ever even seen a frosted brownie.  (I have seen frosted cake.... just don't much like it... esp. buttercream, ew.  I scrape most of it off  - ganache and cream cheese frosting are much more edible) .  But do others regularly frost brownies??  With what?

Wow -- that's fascinating.  This reminds me of the time when I posted here complaining about the new style cardigans that don't button but just hang open, and some people responded saying they've never heard of cardigans with buttons!????  

But, if you've never had a frosted brownie, you might be surprised.  I don't mind plain ones either, but nothing beats the right kind of frosted brownie.  🙂  (Oh also -- no ice cream on the side!)

[Matryoshka]

1 minute ago, J-rap said:

Wow -- that's fascinating.  This reminds me of the time when I posted here complaining about the new style cardigans that don't button but just hang open, and some people responded saying they've never heard of cardigans with buttons!????  

But, if you've never had a frosted brownie, you might be surprised.  I don't mind plain ones either, but nothing beats the right kind of frosted brownie.  🙂  (Oh also -- no ice cream on the side!)

I will not dis brownies with ice cream either, but it is optional!  What is in brownie frosting?  It's not buttercream?  

I have heard of cardigans with buttons... 😂

[Slache]

Wow, I can't believe so many of you are wrong!

[RootAnn]

56 minutes ago, Pintosrock said:

My inlaws once gave me a maze like brownie pan, so that every piece was an edge. Why on Earth would someone invent such a thing when CLEARLY the middles are the best pieces?!!

This is a wise person right here.

I'm ok with frosted brownies, but I prefer unfrosted. I never frost brownies that I make, but I won't turn one down if it is offered to me.

But seriously, brownies in chocolate cheesecake are da best. I can't find the brownie recipe that Quick Cooking put with that one but it used real butter and was so fudgey. Mmmmmm.

ETA: DH is obviously a sweetheart because he offered to eat any edge pieces that need to disappear.

Edited June 4, 2020 by RootAnn

[fairfarmhand]

1 hour ago, RootAnn said:

Thank goodness for my one edge-piece eater & brownie cheesecake. Between those two, I don't have to eat the edge pieces. Yummy middle all the way.

@CuriousMomof3 It isn't hard to convince 'em because it's true! 

I remember seeing the ads for the "all edge" brownie pan. I couldn't figure out why anyone would want to ruin a whole brownie pan that way.

 

1 hour ago, Pintosrock said:

My inlaws once gave me a maze like brownie pan, so that every piece was an edge. Why on Earth would someone invent such a thing when CLEARLY the middles are the best pieces?!!

I own the brownie pan. Heavenly. 
 

I only slightly like the edges more than middle but the nice thing about that pan is that every piece has great middle and edge texture. 
 

 

[LucyStoner]

1 hour ago, CuriousMomof3 said:

You are very wise, unlike @RootAnn.

 

Root Ann and I could share a pan of brownies very easily though.  I'm always glad when other people don't want the bit I want.  😛

[Junie]

1 hour ago, Terabith said:

There's no bad brownie or part of a brownie, but I choose, I choose middle pieces.  

 

1 hour ago, LucyStoner said:

Corner pieces so I get TWO edges.  I feel very strongly about this.  🤣

I am a combination of the above two ideas:

I agree that there is no bad brownie*, but if I get to choose, I choose the corner so I get two edges.

 

*caveat -- I can only eat gluten-free brownies.  So, in truth, most brownies are very, very bad (for me), but I'm glad others get to enjoy them.

[Ali in OR]

Other brownie idiosyncrasies:

I like brownies from a box mix better than homemade. And it doesn't have to be the expensive Ghirardelli box--the $.98 Pillsbury chocolate fudge box is excellent.

BUT, to get the consistency just right, you must make 2 boxes and bake on a cookie sheet for 35 minutes. That makes them absolutely perfect. And it makes a huge amount which is fine if I'm taking them to church, but for just our little family of 5, 1 box in an 8"x8" pan is more appropriate. But they're too cakey. Sigh. So probably next time I make them, it will be two boxes on a cookie sheet, ruining my healthy eating pan.

When my oldest was in the life skills kindergarten class, the teacher and aides had all worked together for years and were great friends. I learned from them that if they brought brownies to any function, they cut off the edge pieces to make them look pretty. Then they brought the edges to school to share with each other--because they all agreed the edges were the best part! So we've been known to do that too.

[LucyStoner]

My husband is making us brownies for dessert.  So thank you.  

I plan to eat a corner piece in a big bowl of strawberries and dairy free whip cream.  

[LucyStoner]

11 minutes ago, Junie said:

caveat -- I can only eat gluten-free brownies.  So, in truth, most brownies are very, very bad (for me), but I'm glad others get to enjoy them.

These are so good that when I make them, no one knows or cares that they are gluten free. 

https://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2011/09/dark-chocolate-brownies-best-gluten.html

 

[Tap]

I don't like the edges if they are hard. Slightly crisp is ok. I prefer a middle soft piece (not gooey).🤤 I love walnuts in brownies but one of my kids doesn't like nuts, so I don't make them that way. I buy the box brands that are "triple chunk" style if I am making them for a crowd. I will make homemade ones sometimes, but it is one of the times that a box mix, is just about perfect, so why bother. LOL I only make homemade frosting for homemade brownies (not the box). I detest wet undercooked baked goods, so if gooey means that, Ill pass. 🤢

For the person who asked, brownies are usually frosted with fudge frosting. It is a cooked frosting that is more firm/gooey than soft/fluffy. Similar to fudge that didn't set all the way.

ETA: Guess what we had tonight.  mmmmmmm🙂

 

Edited June 4, 2020 by Tap

[J-rap]

1 hour ago, Matryoshka said:

I will not dis brownies with ice cream either, but it is optional!  What is in brownie frosting?  It's not buttercream?  

I have heard of cardigans with buttons... 😂

I found it!  I found my favorite BC brownie plus frosting recipes.  Here's the frosting:

Melt over hot water 1 Tablespoon butter and 1 square unsweetened chocolate (1 oz.).  Blend in 1-1/2 Tablespoons warm water.  Stir and beat in about 1 cup sifted confectioners sugar (powdered sugar) until icing will spread easily.*

I rarely had unsweetened chocolate squares, so did the cocoa powder/butter substitute.  (To replace one ounce of unsweetened chocolate, use 3 tablespoons cocoa powder plus 1 tablespoon butter.)  Also, I don't think I did this over hot water...  I think I just made it in a pot on low heat.

(Sorry -- I copy and pasted the line on substituting, and can't seem to get rid of the boldface!)

[rebcoola]

I like it goey preferably with ice cream and Porter chocolate sauce!  

Edited June 4, 2020 by rebcoola

[Chris in VA]

6 hours ago, J-rap said:

I'm kind of picky.  I don't like ones that are more cake-like so much, but I also don't love ones that are super moist (or fudge-like).  Doesn't matter if it's an edge or corner or middle.  No ice cream.  No nuts.  Enough frosting is important.

My favorite brownie recipe was the Betty Crocker standard brownie recipe that my mother always made, along with the frosting recipe they recommended for them.

Unfortunately I think I had to throw that book away, and I don't think I've made brownies since!

 

Eww...no frosting 😉😂

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Time out.  People FROST brownies???  What the heck?  That just makes them into heavy cake.  The greatness of brownies is how incredibly easy they are to make!!!  NO FROSTING!  

[Zebra]

You people who don't love all brownies equally, and then have the audacity to defile them with icing should be ashamed of yourselves.

🤣

 

 

 

 

[Kassia]

This thread is definitely making me crave brownies.  Frosted, unfrosted, corner, edge, center...I don't care - they are all good! 

My favorite is chocolate chip brownies.  I add one cup to the batter.  And I love ice cream with brownies.  

[DawnM]

Gooiest center piece I can get, and even better warm with ice cream on top.

My husband likes crispy edges.  

I am blessed.

[PeterPan]

What am I doing wrong that y'all's edges are so great? My middles are awesome and I tolerate edges because no piece of brownie should go uneaten. I'm also not certain I share. I mean, if I make a 9X13 I'll share, but 8X8 is a lot harder. 

[ScoutTN]

Oh, no no no frosting!!! And no nuts. I prefer cold milk to ice cream bc it is not so sweet. Contrast. I like edge pieces and middle pieces equally well.

Ghirardelli boxed mix is my favorite, though I normally disdain baked goods from a mix. I buy the giant bix with six packages in it at Costco.

We do occasionally make the zebra brownies with sweetened cream cheese mixed in. Do y'all like those or are they a desecration of straight out chocolate in your opinion?

[ScoutTN]

Best thread here in weeks! Thanks FFH! 

Edited June 4, 2020 by ScoutTN

[PrincessMommy]

all of it, of course!  LOL 

[Xahm]

If someone is so misguided as to make cake-like rather than fudgy brownies, they can cover for their mistake by coating them in fudge frosting, but I'll have trouble trusting their judgement on any topic after that. Fudge brownies can have nuts or not and are delicious, center and edge.

[J-rap]

43 minutes ago, ScoutTN said:

Oh, no no no frosting!!! And no nuts. I prefer cold milk to ice cream bc it is not so sweet. Contrast. I like edge pieces and middle pieces equally well.

Ghirardelli boxed mix is my favorite, though I normally disdain baked goods from a mix. I buy the giant bix with six packages in it at Costco.

We do occasionally make the zebra brownies with sweetened cream cheese mixed in. Do y'all like those or are they a desecration of straight out chocolate in your opinion?

Maybe this explains why so many here don't like frosting.  Because I've had Ghirardelli brownies and they're great!  But they're very different than the brownies I grew up with.  Ghirardelli brownies all about the yummy chocolatey moistness quality.  The ones I grew up with were not moist, nor very sweet.  They're rather dry, actually.  So the added layer of chocolatey frosting is what makes them yummy.  (Oh, and they're not cake-like either -- I don't really care for those.  They're really in their own category!)

Edited June 4, 2020 by J-rap

[Matryoshka]

6 minutes ago, J-rap said:

Maybe this explains why so many here don't like frosting.  Because I've had Ghirardelli brownies and they're great!  But they're very different than the brownies I grew up with.  Ghirardelli brownies all about the yummy chocolatey moistness quality.  The ones I grew up with were not moist, nor very sweet.  They're rather dry, actually.  So the added layer of chocolatey frosting is what makes them yummy.  (Oh, and they're not cake-like either -- I don't really care for those.  They're really in their own category!)

Yes, yummy chocolaty moistness is what a proper brownie should deliver. There is no point to a dry brownie. Or cake-like. If I want cake-like, I'll eat cake.

[vonfirmath]

10 minutes ago, J-rap said:

Maybe this explains why so many here don't like frosting.  Because I've had Ghirardelli brownies and they're great!  But they're very different than the brownies I grew up with.  Ghirardelli brownies all about the yummy chocolatey moistness quality.  The ones I grew up with were not moist, nor very sweet.  They're rather dry, actually.  So the added layer of chocolatey frosting is what makes them yummy.  (Oh, and they're not cake-like either -- I don't really care for those.  They're really in their own category!)

..I can't imagine dry and bitter brownies.

Of course I've never been able to make brownies I like without a mix (Duncan Hines I believe is my favorite. though there are two that are sold near each other that I'm always forgetting the difference and usually end up buying whichever is cheaper of them)

[vonfirmath]

2 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

Yes, yummy chocolaty moistness is what a proper brownie should deliver. There is no point to a dry brownie. Or cake-like. If I want cake-like, I'll eat cake.

The box instructions do have instructions for making them "cake like" But I've never seen the point.

[Zebra]

I started a thread a few weeks ago about why I couldn't get boxed brownies to come out right.    And basically, I need to use a glass pan.

This knowledge has, revolutionized my life.     

I've made the Ghiradelli brownies probably 3 times since then and they have come out PERFECTLY.    Every single unfrosted brownie is deliciousness!  MIddle, edges....Kum-bay-ya!

My only complaint is that it's pretty hard to hide them from people who are in this house 24/7 with me.    If say, for example, someone went to work all day or to college classes, you could, say, open all the window and light a bunch of candles, HIDE the cooled brownies before they came home and then explain that there were so many candles lit because you were having some "me" time.   But you can't do this when everyone is stuck at home.

Brownies from scratch and boxed brownies are 2 different animals.    Sometimes you just NEED that gross yet delicious fake boxed brownie.

And I will admit here that sometimes I make peppermint brownies.   Scratch brownies (made with unsweetened chocolate), peppermint frosting, and chocolate glaze.   Chilled and cut into perfect little squares.

But other than that special Christmastime exception, icing is an abomination.

[ScoutTN]

9 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

Yes, yummy chocolaty moistness is what a proper brownie should deliver. There is no point to a dry brownie. Or cake-like. If I want cake-like, I'll eat cake.

What she said! 

[stephanier.1765]

Without reading any other replies so I'm not unduly influenced (LOL), the best part is the edge part. The corners are even better. When I cut up the pan, I always make sure the corners are the biggest pieces.

[I talk to the trees]

Mmmmmmmm......brownies! 😋. Edge, middle...it’s all good! But here's my problem: I cannot have eggs. So can anyone point me in the direction of a brownie recipe that doesn’t have eggs and still tastes and feels like an actual brownie? Because after reading this thread, doggone it! I want a brownie!

[Emba]

3 hours ago, Kassia said:

This thread is definitely making me crave brownies.  Frosted, unfrosted, corner, edge, center...I don't care - they are all good! 

My favorite is chocolate chip brownies.  I add one cup to the batter.  And I love ice cream with brownies.  

Me too! I sense brownies in my future!

[Emba]

I love all the brownies equally, as long as there is no icing. Cake type brownies, moist dense brownies, with nuts, without nuts, edges, middles. Just don’t make something with white “chocolate” and call it a brownie.

icing is okay, I’ll still eat it, but I prefer without.

[Tanaqui]

1. Middle piece

2. But I prefer blondies

2a. Except that one time somebody gave me a blondie with raisins in it

2b. WTF.

[Xahm]

2 hours ago, vonfirmath said:

..I can't imagine dry and bitter brownies.

Of course I've never been able to make brownies I like without a mix (Duncan Hines I believe is my favorite. though there are two that are sold near each other that I'm always forgetting the difference and usually end up buying whichever is cheaper of them)

Sadly, I don't have to imagine, just remember. Our schools would occasionally have "brownie" on the menu, and it was always a disappointment, and yet I always hoped.

[mom2scouts]

I love the crispy edge of a brownie and I almost chose that answer, but there's really no bad part to a brownie and that's how I voted. Edges, middle, frosted, unfrosted, gooey, and cake-like are all fine with me, although I'd prefer you not defile them by adding nuts.

[Tap]

7 minutes ago, Seasider too said:

LOL. Once you frost them, they are no longer brownies. That’s when I start calling em Texas sheet cake (even though authentic Texas sheet cake is a thing of wonder, yum).

I refuse to argue with you middlers. I think a better strategy is to befriend you and bake a pan of brownies to share!

Texas sheet cake is very different from frosted brownies in my house. Both are well loved, but different. A brownie is more firm; I can grab a 2x2 square and nibble without a plate. TS Cake, is soft, crumbly and requires a plate. 

Edited June 4, 2020 by Tap