The Benefit Of Baking Brownies In A Clear Pan

Overbaking is one of the quickest ways to ruin a pan of nearly finished brownies, and one of the easiest too. Even leaving your pan in the oven for just a few minutes too long can result in hardened brownies that verge on inedible. A simple trick to prevent overbaking is to use a glass pan for your brownies. The glass pan itself does not have a magical solution to prevent overbaking, but it does let you see more clearly how far along your brownies are.

Another benefit to baking with an ovenproof glass pan is the heat distribution. Glass will heat up slower and will hold its heat for longer, this gives you a nice, even bake for your brownies. This helps ensure that your brownies have crispy edges and a decadent, chewy center. When using a glass pan be sure that you fully preheat your oven before placing the pan in, this prevents uneven heating and protects your pan from potential breaking. Another tip for using glass pans is to grease your pan extra well. This will help prevent any sticking as your brownies bake and cool.

Because glass pans conduct heat so well, you'll need to keep a closer eye on your brownies while they cook. It's best to set your timer for 10 minutes before you'd normally take your brownies out. This allows you to better monitor your pan and look for signs the brownies are done. You can always start by sticking a toothpick through and seeing if it comes out clean, but if you like a slightly gooey middle, this isn't that useful. A good telltale sign your brownies are done is to look for crispy edges along the pan. This is where a glass pan comes in handy.

When the edges of your brownies begin to slightly pull away from the sides of your pan this means your brownies are good-to-go. A glass pan lets you see more clearly when this is happening. One thing to keep in mind is that because glass pans hold heat so well they can continue to bake your brownies after you pull them out. You might consider taking your brownies out a few minutes before they are done and letting the residual heat from the pan finish the cooking for you.