Why did my brownie batter separate?
The recipe is:
1/2 cup butter
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
Melt the butter and chocolate over low heat. Let cool slightly for about 10 minutes. Whisk in the sugars. Add the eggs, one at a time, and then whisk in the vanilla. Fold in flour, cocoa, and salt. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.
I followed this recipe to the letter, but when I added in the flour, the butter starred separating out of the batter. I still followed through with the recipe, and the flavour turned out fine. However, the brownies were very crumbly and the edges very crunchy. I've never had this happen before with brownies. What could cause the butter to separate out?
Best Answer
There is not enough flour in this recipe, increase the amounts to 2 cups. When using an equal amount of flour and butter you will form a short-crust type texture, this is why it was so crumbly. It may seem counter intuitive but you actually need more flour to hold all the liquid.
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Quick Answer about "Why did my brownie batter separate?"
Split brownie batter Brownie batter fluctuates wildly in temperature during the making process, and it can often lead to the mixture splitting, which makes for a greasy, grainy bake.Why did my brownies split?
Brownies fall apart While its still warm or not completely cooled. Other reason why brownies are falling apart is the brownie structure itself is too weak, either there is very less flour, too much of fat and liquid. So it doesnt hold up. Another reason is - the pan is not lined and greased well.What happens if you overmix brownie batter?
Overmixing the Batter Overmixing allows more air into the batter, which will give you lighter, cake-like brownies instead of dense, rich ones. (On the flip side, if you do want your brownies to be cakey, beat the eggs more.)How do you salvage a crumbly brownie?
How To Soften Hard Brownies (9 Simple Methods)The Biggest Mistakes Everyone Makes When Baking Brownies
More answers regarding why did my brownie batter separate?
Answer 2
Not enough flour. I would use 2 and 1/2 cups of flour to bind the oils.
Answer 3
It’s likely that you heated the chocolate too quickly/hot, causing its fat to separate out.
Cf: https://www.nigella.com/ask/butter-separating-from-brownie-mix
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