I’ll have to try that.
Glad to hear the confectioner’s sugar worked.
Using caster sugar (which Wikipedia tells me Americans call ‘superfine’) would also probably work (I use it as a matter of course in baking) and possibly be more similar to regular sugar when mixing than icing sugar (confectioner’s sugar).
I agree it’s idiotic, but it’s probably because the butter is specified as melted in the list (as if you’d melt all the butter in your house first, then measure it as a liquid :smack: )
To the OP though… I would whip the sugar into the butter with an electric beater - keep going for 5 minutes if necessary, then add the cocoa and proceed with the rest of the recipe.
I think it would help to change the order that the ingredients are combined. Try mixing together all the wet ingredients (eggs, melted butter and vanilla), then adding the sugar and mixing until the sugar is dissolved. Then you can add the cocoa, followed by the salt and flour.
It would probably also help for the eggs to be warm, rather than refrigerator temperature. You can heat the eggs in a bowl of warm water.
Powdered sugar contains some cornstarch. This might have an effect on the texture of the brownies. The suggestion to use caster sugar is a good one.
I’ve never heard of caster sugar. It may be that I wasn’t looking for it.
For a little treat, make brownies as usual. Pour half into the pan. Then line the pan with Symphony bars, the kind with toffee. Pour the rest of the brownie mix in the pan. Bake like normal.
Mmm, chocolate-toffee goodness.
It can be hard to find in different regions. It’s labeled “superfine”. It also costs more than regular granulated sugar. What I do instead is when I buy a bag of sugar, before I use it, I put it in batches in the food processor and grind it until it’s finer than regular granulated sugar but coarser than powdered. It’s better all-around that way. It dissolves quickly in cold beverages like iced tea, and bakes better than regular granulated sugar in baked goods.
This is how you make cakes that you want to be airier, but for brownies, you usually melt the butter.
They don’t carry it in the supermarkets in my area. I have to go to a cake supply store to find it. Might be the same where you’re at, although if you have a decent food processor then needscoffee’s suggestion is a good one.
I’m a professional vegan baker at a health food store.
I like the caster/powdered sugar suggestion. I’m going to try that one myself (not at work).
My own method is to replace some of the sugar with an equal weight (not volume) of brown rice syrup, but Karo corn syrup will do the job just as well.
Albert Rose, out of interest, if you can’t use eggs at work, what protein do you substitute for binding the things that you bake?
The C & H brand of caster sugar is labeled as “Baker’s Sugar.” Here is a like to it on the C & H web site. It’s common around here, but maybe not where you live.
I use Ener-G Egg replacer. I am not well-versed in the chemistry involved and I don’t know which of my secret ingredients* do the emulsifying.
*which are listed right on our store’s price label. Included are brown rice syrup, canola oil, flour and vegan chocolate.