Up until this weekend, the only time I baked brownies in a glass or Pyrex dish was when I was making the microwave version. Because even though glass is pretty, metal pans have always seemed more reliable in terms of heat conduction and most recipes are developed for metal, anyway. But I've noticed a lot of people still bake brownies in glass pans and have always wondered why. Was it because they only had a particular size dish in glass? Was it for aesthetic reasons? Or was it that their recipe just worked better with glass. I guess it really depends on all the variables.
This weekend I found a recipe that works really well in a glass dish. The brownies have a lovely shiny top (mine was shinier before I chilled it), are fairly flaky, and have a fudgy but not too dense (bordering on cakey without being cake) center. They're also less greasy than high butter recipes, but still have plenty of satisfying chocolate flavor.
Mmm Brownies
Originally submitted it as Mmmmm Brownies on Allrecipes.com, this is a lot like a recipe I used to make as a teenager that called for chocolate chips. I've made it a couple of times over the years with variations, but this batch was particularly good. I used a mixture of brown sugar and granulated, a mixture of chopped chocolate and melted chips, used cold eggs to ensure they wouldn't cook in the batter. I also reduced the salt, and added more chocolate chips at the end. The brownies finished baking in exactly 25 minutes and after a 90 minute cool time and a brief chill, they were just perfect. Next time I'm going to double the recipe!
Glass Dish Brownies Can Be Baked In Metal Pan
Update: FYI, you don't have to bake these in a glass dish! Metal works just fine, and you can bake for either 25 or 30 minutes depending on how fudgy you want the brownies. For the sugar, you can omit the brown and use ½ cup total of granulated sugar. And for the chocolate, you can use just about any form of semisweet and/or bittersweet as long as it totals 9 oz. Or just just 1 ½ cups (9 oz) of chips.
Recipe
Glass Dish Brownies
Ingredients
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- ¼ cup light brown sugar (50 grams)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (28 grams)
- 2 tablespoons water (28 grams)
- 3 oz semisweet or bittersweet, 60% (84 grams)
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips (170 grams)
- 2 large eggs, cold
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour (84 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ scant teaspoon salt
- Another ½ cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease an 8 inch square Pyrex dish and line with a strip of parchment so that the brownies can be removed from the pan.
- In a medium saucepan, gently melt the butter. Add the water and both sugars and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in chopped chocolate and chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Chocolate will begin to thicken as you stir.
- Whisk the cold eggs in a second bowl, and then whisk or stir them into the chocolate mixture. Whisk in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the chocolate mixture. Add the remaining chocolate chips (make sure that the batter is not so hot that it melts them) and spread batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 25 minutes on the center rack until brownies appear set. Let cool to room temperature and then chill slightly. Lift from pan and cut into squares.
Anna says
Elizabeth, I'd start checking at 25 minutes. It will probably take them about 32 to 35 minutes, but definitely check at 25 since ovens vary in the way they distribute heat.
Elizabeth says
I needed to know how long to cook a double batch of Giradelli double chocolate brownies in a 14 x 10 glass pan at 325*
Lana says
I like brownies when they just come out of the oven. MMMMMMMMMMMM.
Janice Conway says
My cream cheese brownies turned out great. I used fmly. size Betty Crocker mix, added nuts and baked 40 min. I put them {room temperature] in the frig overnight without the snap on cover to my 9X13 glass pan. This A.M. I lifted them out by the foil that I had left longer on each end. I peeled the foil down on sides and cut them with my wide blade chef knife and dropped them back into my pan with the foil still on the bottom and snapped on my lid...put back in frig.
Anna says
Good point, Janice! That's one of the reasons I always line pans. However, I suppose if I person didn't have a pan liner and didn't want to scratch the bottom of the pan, glass would be a better option. I'm actually starting to like using glass and have used it in recipes since this post. However, I still prefer metal for most recipes.
Janice Conway says
You didn't mention [nor did anyone else] my biggest reason for using glass....the brownies, cakes, whatever can be put in the greased pan and cut up in the pan, in case you don't have parchment or foil. Years ago I had many metal pans scratched up
from the knife. Now I do have those things as they are readily available. Today I lined my glass pan with foil, sprayed it and will make 9X13 cream cheese brownies.
Gloria says
These look MMMMM good even if they only have a little butter. Better for you! Did you submit the MMMMM brownies recipe on Allrecipes? I've seen it many times while looking at brownie recipes out there.
Katrina says
Great minds--I just posted (on FB) some brownies I made today. I like the shiny, crackly top. I added pb stuff (cups and pieces). Yours look great. I have always wondered about glass dishes, too, because I never use them but I know many do.
Sue says
My husband loves brownie experiments so I'll try these sometime. I always use a metal pan to make brownies. I can't remember what size my square Pyrex pan is. I'm not home right now to check.
Anna says
Glass heats more slowly than metal, but it holds the heat longer and can actually promote more even baking. However, to keep the edges (the part where the batter hits the hot glass directly) you're supposed to reduce the heat by 25 degrees. So the rule of thumb is to reduce the heat by 25 degrees F. when using glass and bake a little bit longer. The same rule applies to dark metal pans because black absorbs more heat. For instance, I have a black metal Bundt pan and I always reduce the heat by 25 degrees because the pan holds more heat. And while I do not usually (okay, ever!) make cakes in glass pans, it makes sense that one might get a more evenly baked cake if they baked it in a glass dish and reduced the heat. I might try this the next time I make a 9x13 inch cake.
MassachusEATS says
Huh, I had never really thought about that until now! I've always used glass because that's what we have. I assumed it didn't matter much but you have got me thinking & now I might have to do some experimenting! And not just because you now have me craving brownies...;)
Cheryl says
Always made brownies in a glass pan because I never had a square metal pan--simple as that!
Anna says
Hi Sarah,
Glad to hear I'm not the only one wondering about those things ;). About the texture, they are not quite as chewy as some other recipes, but they're not cakey, either. They're pretty much the quintessential "in-between" brownie.
Sarah says
I've always wondered why so many prefer to use glass,too. Maybe it just comes down to tradition/habit? Either way, these look great! Are they more on the chewy side?