01. Decide on Type

• Brownies come in many forms; fudgy, cakelike, chewy, gooey and so on. It’s important to know where you’re headed before you head there because each different type will require different ingredient combinations. Fudgy ones for example will require less flour and no leavening agents. Cake like ones on the other hand will call for more flour and a leavening agent, which brings us to the next point.

02. Scrutinize the Recipe

• Read and re-read to ensure you have all the ingredients in the right proportions and be sure of all the steps involved.

03. Quality Ingredients

• This is the foundation of good brownies. Try not to cut corners on the key ingredients. Quality of ingredients hugely impacts quality of taste.

04. Room Temperature Ingredients

• Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature, especially your eggs as these trap air best at room temperature to give you brownies with good texture that cook evenly. If you forget to take your eggs out in time, just let them sit in a bowl of warm water for 10 to 15 minutes.

05. Sprinkle the Flour

• When adding the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture, sprinkle it on and then fold it in using a spatula. Don’t use a whisk or other mixing tool. Fold until just a little flour is still visible, this will keep you from over mixing and making cake instead of brownies.

06. Use Shiny Pans

• Glass or dark pans increase the risk of burnt or over-baked edges. Shiny, light coloured pans tend to reduce this risk. Also make sure to properly line and grease your pans to prevent sticking. Keeping extra lining that can be used like a handle to lift out your brownies can also make your life super easy.

07. Timing

• Bake in the centre of the oven and always make sure that the oven is preheated. Cooking time will vary depending on what type of brownie you’re making but remember that they’ll continue to cook a little as they sit to cool once out of the oven, so if you’re unsure always pull out a little early rather than a little late.

08. Correct Temperature

• Check your actual oven temperature using an oven thermometer. These can be bought quite cheaply. Many oven temperatures are off and this can make a big difference to the end product.

09. Clean Knives, Clean Cut

• To get nice clean cut brownies, don’t cut them immediately. Put them in the fridge for a few hours and then use a clean knife and keep it clean to ensure a clean cut.

10. Cheat a Little

• You can always get boxed ingredients that are ready to go out of the box. This can make life easy if you’re short on time.