5 Easy Ways to Dress Brownie Desserts – Easy Weeknight Desserts | See What's Cookin' at The Prepared Pantry

By Dennis Weaver, April 2, 2013,

Brownies a la mode with Warm Caramel

We found a recipe for a brownie with caramel sauce and tried it on Saturday morning. It didn’t work. It was too involved. We wanted a quick, easy recipe that people could make when they were busy—easy weeknight desserts.

Dressing up brownies is quick and easy. They should be good enough that your family asks for seconds and formal enough for friends. Here are five ways to dress up brownies.

The First Step: Making Attractive Brownies

We love really moist, gooey brownies but they have to be neat and attractive too.

Choose your brownies and make them so that they cut neat and square. Our New York Dessert Brownies were designed for that. If you want a gooey brownie, choose Uncle Bob’s Extra Moist Brownies but freeze them for an hour to make them firm before cutting.

How to Make Your Brownies Look Like
They Came from a Bakery

	STEP 1:Line your pan with parchment paper. Spread shortening in the pan to hold the paper in place. Don’t worry; the fat will be outside the paper, not on your brownies.
	STEP 2: After removing the pan from the oven, grab the edges of the paper and lift the cake from the pan. Must-Have Parchment Paper >
	STEP 3: Using two cooling racks, invert the cake and peel off the paper. Sandwich the cake between two racks and turn the cake over. Re-invert the cake and let cool. See Ways to Use Cooling Racks >
	STEP 4: With a serrated knife, trim the edges from the cake.
	STEP 5: Use a ruler to mark the cuts.
	STEP 6: *Cut the brownies* with a wet blade.** Keep a clean damp cloth handy and wipe the blade between cuts.