Whenever I make brownies or magic bars with my new oven, they burn around
the edges (well, the magic bars did even in my old oven, but the brownies
never did). I've tried both glass and metal pans, to no avail. What am I
doing wrong? The oven seems to be right on temperature with everything
else, so I don't think it's a temperature issue.

laurie

"laurie" > wrote in message
news:5XJAg.7$Fl2.6@trndny01...
> Whenever I make brownies or magic bars with my new oven, they burn around
> the edges (well, the magic bars did even in my old oven, but the brownies
> never did). I've tried both glass and metal pans, to no avail. What am I
> doing wrong? The oven seems to be right on temperature with everything
> else, so I don't think it's a temperature issue.
>
> laurie

Have you checked the temp with an oven thermometer?

"JoeSpareBedroom" > wrote in message
...
> "laurie" > wrote in message
> news:5XJAg.7$Fl2.6@trndny01...
>>>
> Have you checked the temp with an oven thermometer?

Not with this oven, no, but nothing else burns- not cookies or roasts or
anything else- so I hate to adjust the temp if I don't have to. Do you think
that is the problem?

laurie
>
>

"laurie" > wrote in message
newshKAg.14$Fl2.8@trndny01...
>
> "JoeSpareBedroom" > wrote in message
> ...
>> "laurie" > wrote in message
>> news:5XJAg.7$Fl2.6@trndny01...
>>>>
>> Have you checked the temp with an oven thermometer?
>
> Not with this oven, no, but nothing else burns- not cookies or roasts or
> anything else- so I hate to adjust the temp if I don't have to. Do you
> think that is the problem?
>
> laurie

I don't know, but it's the first thing I'd check, and an oven thermometer's
a good thing to have. How much trouble would it be to adjust the temp if
necessary? A push of a button?

Is absolutely everything else equal to your previous method with the old
oven? Exact same recipe? Exact same ingredients? Same position for the oven
rack? Exactly the same pan that produced successful results before?

laurie wrote:
> Whenever I make brownies or magic bars with my new oven, they burn around
> the edges (well, the magic bars did even in my old oven, but the brownies
> never did). I've tried both glass and metal pans, to no avail. What am I
> doing wrong? The oven seems to be right on temperature with everything
> else, so I don't think it's a temperature issue.


How thick are those glass or metal pans? Burning around the edges
before the center is baked means the temperature is hotter there--
uneven heat. This will happen in a small oven where it gets hotter
around the walls or any situation where the heat isn't circulating. But
instead of trying to solve the problem with the oven itself, the easiest
solution is usually a nice thick pan that distrubutes the heat. Quicker
still (not optimum but something you can try right away), make flatter
brownies. Use the same amount of batter, and put it in 2 pans. Take
the brownies out of the oven the moment the center is done.


--Lia

"laurie" > wrote in message
news:5XJAg.7$Fl2.6@trndny01...
> Whenever I make brownies or magic bars with my new oven, they burn around
> the edges (well, the magic bars did even in my old oven, but the brownies
> never did). I've tried both glass and metal pans, to no avail. What am I
> doing wrong? The oven seems to be right on temperature with everything
> else, so I don't think it's a temperature issue.
>
> laurie
>
>
>
I know this may sound simple, but is the the batter/mix spread evenly in the
pan and the same depth in all four corners? If it is, is the stove itself
level?
-ginny

"JoeSpareBedroom" > wrote in message
...
> "laurie" > wrote in message
> newshKAg.14$Fl2.8@trndny01...
>>
>> "JoeSpareBedroom" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>
>> Not with this oven, no, but nothing else burns- not cookies or roasts or
>> anything else- so I hate to adjust the temp if I don't have to. Do you
>> think that is the problem?
>>
>> laurie
>
> I don't know, but it's the first thing I'd check, and an oven
> thermometer's a good thing to have. How much trouble would it be to adjust
> the temp if necessary? A push of a button?

I do have an oven thermometer, actually, as my last oven was very
inaccurate. It's no trouble to adjust the temp at all- I just meant that
then I'd have to adapt to the new temps for all the other things I cook, and
*I'm* not that adaptable.

>
> Is absolutely everything else equal to your previous method with the old
> oven? Exact same recipe? Exact same ingredients? Same position for the
> oven rack? Exactly the same pan that produced successful results before?

Same recipe, same pan, maybe not the same rack. I'll try that.

laurie

>
>

In article <5XJAg.7$Fl2.6@trndny01>, "laurie" >
wrote:

> Whenever I make brownies or magic bars with my new oven, they burn around
> the edges (well, the magic bars did even in my old oven, but the brownies
> never did). I've tried both glass and metal pans, to no avail. What am I
> doing wrong? The oven seems to be right on temperature with everything
> else, so I don't think it's a temperature issue.
>
> laurie

Why do you care? :-)

IMHO those crispy edges are the best part!!!!!!

Seriously tho', what kind of pans are you using?
I found that that problem was worse in metal than in glass.
--
Peace!
Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch"
-- Jack Nicholson

"Julia Altshuler" > wrote in message
. ..
>
> How thick are those glass or metal pans? Burning around the edges before
> the center is baked means the temperature is hotter there--
> uneven heat. This will happen in a small oven where it gets hotter around
> the walls or any situation where the heat isn't circulating. But instead
> of trying to solve the problem with the oven itself, the easiest solution
> is usually a nice thick pan that distrubutes the heat. Quicker still (not
> optimum but something you can try right away), make flatter brownies. Use
> the same amount of batter, and put it in 2 pans. Take the brownies out of
> the oven the moment the center is done.
>
>
> --Lia

I have one of those Chicago brand metal pans, which I thought were supposed
to be fairly decent, and the glass ones are just your typical Pyrex.
Thanks for the tips, I'll try what you suggested.

laurie


>

"Virginia Tadrzynski" > wrote in message
...
>
> >>
>>
>>
> I know this may sound simple, but is the the batter/mix spread evenly in
> the
> pan and the same depth in all four corners? If it is, is the stove itself
> level?
> -ginny

Well sometimes it's those simple things that get you! I'll pay more
attention to the things you mentioned. Thanks.

laurie


>
>

jacqui{JB} wrote:
> Is your new oven a convection oven -- in other words, does it have a fan in
> it? If it does, you need to drop the temperature about 25 degrees (F), and
> reduce cooking time 10-15%. It takes a while to get used to -- I've had a
> convection oven for the last six years and baked goods are still a
> challenge.
>
> -j

I would never buy a convection oven. They cook too fast. Things like
cakes and quickbreads don't have enough time to rise before the crust
is browned.

"jacqui{JB}" > wrote in message
. dk...
> "laurie" > wrote in message
> news:5XJAg.7$Fl2.6@trndny01...
>
> "[S]eems to be right on temperature" isn't the same as *is* on
> temperature.
> You need to get a thermometer and check the temp, plus notice how much the
> temperature fluctuates between the elements coming on again to keep the
> temperature roughly correct.
>
> Is your new oven a convection oven -- in other words, does it have a fan
> in
> it? If it does, you need to drop the temperature about 25 degrees (F),
> and
> reduce cooking time 10-15%. It takes a while to get used to -- I've had a
> convection oven for the last six years and baked goods are still a
> challenge.

Nah, it's just a standard electric oven. Yesterday I took the magic bars
out 5 minutes early (fairly significant when they're only supposed to cook
for 25 min.), when the center was still sticky looking, and the edges are
burned. It still seems like the center could have been cooked a bit more
(though they're edible). The brownie recipe I tried last week actually was
a new recipe, one with butter melting with the sugar on the stove first,
maybe that had something to do with it. I've never made brownies that way
before. But even my old standby recipe (aka Betty Crocker) has been
burning around the edges. I'll break out the oven thermometer and check the
temp. Thanks.

laurie


>
> -j
>
>

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" > wrote in message
...
> In article <5XJAg.7$Fl2.6@trndny01>, "laurie" >
> wrote:
>
>> .
>
> Why do you care? :-)
>
> IMHO those crispy edges are the best part!!!!!!
>
> Seriously tho', what kind of pans are you using?
> I found that that problem was worse in metal than in glass.
> --
> Peace!
> Om

Really? I don't care for the burned edges. See my previous post about the
pan. Thanks.

laurie


>
> "My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch"
> -- Jack Nicholson

In article <FuLAg.16$QK.2@trndny06>, "laurie" >
wrote:

> "OmManiPadmeOmelet" > wrote in message
> ...
> > In article <5XJAg.7$Fl2.6@trndny01>, "laurie" >
> > wrote:
> >
> >> .
> >
> > Why do you care? :-)
> >
> > IMHO those crispy edges are the best part!!!!!!
> >
> > Seriously tho', what kind of pans are you using?
> > I found that that problem was worse in metal than in glass.
> > --
> > Peace!
> > Om
>
> Really? I don't care for the burned edges. See my previous post about the
> pan. Thanks.
>
> laurie

Yes, I re-read it and noted that you had tried both types of pans.

Hmmmmm... perhaps the suggestion about flatter brownies would be the
best one. Or try tenting the edges like one would a pie crust?
--
Peace!
Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch"
-- Jack Nicholson

"laurie" > wrote in message
news:3mLAg.13$AF1.7@trndny03...
>
> "JoeSpareBedroom" > wrote in message
> ...
>> "laurie" > wrote in message
>> newshKAg.14$Fl2.8@trndny01...
>>>
>>> "JoeSpareBedroom" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>
>>> Not with this oven, no, but nothing else burns- not cookies or roasts or
>>> anything else- so I hate to adjust the temp if I don't have to. Do you
>>> think that is the problem?
>>>
>>> laurie
>>
>> I don't know, but it's the first thing I'd check, and an oven
>> thermometer's a good thing to have. How much trouble would it be to
>> adjust the temp if necessary? A push of a button?
>
> I do have an oven thermometer, actually, as my last oven was very
> inaccurate. It's no trouble to adjust the temp at all- I just meant that
> then I'd have to adapt to the new temps for all the other things I cook,
> and *I'm* not that adaptable.

For many things, the temp doesn't matter that much. You cook them until
they're done, a vary the time, leaving the temp where it is. But, for baked
goods, the temp CAN be important.



>> Is absolutely everything else equal to your previous method with the old
>> oven? Exact same recipe? Exact same ingredients? Same position for the
>> oven rack? Exactly the same pan that produced successful results before?
>
> Same recipe, same pan, maybe not the same rack. I'll try that.
>
> laurie

Another issue to experiment with: Flour settles during shipment and storage,
like cereal. So, if you open a new bag and scoop out an exact cup, it will
have a certain weight. If you poured that same bag of flour into a big
container and immediately scooped out a cup, it would be lighter than the
first cup. Come back to the container in a month and it will have settled.
Now, a measured cup would have yet a different weight.

A friend who's a pro chef explained this to me, and said that if the recipe
is one which he knows to be "sensitive", he'll always measure flour by
weight, not by volume.

"laurie" > wrote in message news:5XJAg.7$Fl2.6@trndny01...
> Whenever I make brownies or magic bars with my new oven, they burn around the edges
> (well, the magic bars did even in my old oven, but the brownies never did). I've
> tried both glass and metal pans, to no avail. What am I doing wrong? The oven
> seems to be right on temperature with everything else, so I don't think it's a
> temperature issue.
>
> laurie

Have you checked the temperature with a thermometer? What type of oven is it?
Conventional or convection? What type of pans are you using? Are they light or
nonstick (the metal ones)? How much room is there around them?

I've never noticed a huge difference when making alot of things, but with brownies,
there is a huge difference between using light pans, and dark or nonstick pans. If
your pans are dark or nonstick, try decreasing the temp and adjusting the cooking
time to accommodate the change. It also can vary according to recipe. I made several
batches of brownies for a bake sale, and there was one recipe, no matter what I did,
it would not cook in the center before the outside was hard as a rock. I changed the
recipe and that solved that.

Also when spreading the batter in the pan, make it so there is a slight indentation
in the center. It will even out for the most part during the baking, but it seems to
help the center get a little bit of a headstart.

Get an oven thermometer and check the temperature on your oven. Even a 10 degree
difference can matter. Make sure it's at the proper temperature before putting the
brownies in. Make sure your ingredients are the same (room) temp. Don't over-mix the
batter. Use light (colored), uncoated, medium to heavy weight pans, and you can line
the edges in foil or use those cake strips around the sides of the pan in the last 15
min or so.

Hope this helps.

kimberly

On Fri, 04 Aug 2006 17:28:29 GMT, "laurie" > wrote:

>
>Nah, it's just a standard electric oven. Yesterday I took the magic bars
>out 5 minutes early (fairly significant when they're only supposed to cook
>for 25 min.), when the center was still sticky looking, and the edges are
>burned. It still seems like the center could have been cooked a bit more
>(though they're edible). The brownie recipe I tried last week actually was
>a new recipe, one with butter melting with the sugar on the stove first,
>maybe that had something to do with it. I've never made brownies that way
>before. But even my old standby recipe (aka Betty Crocker) has been
>burning around the edges. I'll break out the oven thermometer and check the
>temp. Thanks.
>
>laurie

I had a problem like this with my last electric oven.
Each time the oven cycled "ON" the radiant heat
from the elements would singe the baked goods.

Try putting a cookie sheet on the bottom shelf.
It'll temper the heat during the ON cycle.

My permanent cure was to put a perforated aluminum sheet
on the bottom shelf of the oven.
It dispursed the radiant heat during the ON cycle.
Never got edge-burning again.

<rj>

"laurie" > wrote in news:1tLAg.12$gB.7@trndny07:

> Nah, it's just a standard electric oven. Yesterday I took the magic
> bars out 5 minutes early (fairly significant when they're only
> supposed to cook for 25 min.), when the center was still sticky
> looking, and the edges are burned. It still seems like the center
> could have been cooked a bit more (though they're edible). The
> brownie recipe I tried last week actually was a new recipe, one with
> butter melting with the sugar on the stove first, maybe that had
> something to do with it. I've never made brownies that way before.
> But even my old standby recipe (aka Betty Crocker) has been burning
> around the edges. I'll break out the oven thermometer and check the
> temp. Thanks.
>
> laurie


Sounds like your pan might be too large and the pan's edges are too close
to the electric elements, causing the edges to cook faster.

Try using a smaller pan.

Andy

laurie wrote:
> Nah, it's just a standard electric oven. Yesterday I took the magic bars
> out 5 minutes early (fairly significant when they're only supposed to cook
> for 25 min.), when the center was still sticky looking, and the edges are
> burned. It still seems like the center could have been cooked a bit more
> (though they're edible). The brownie recipe I tried last week actually was
> a new recipe, one with butter melting with the sugar on the stove first,
> maybe that had something to do with it. I've never made brownies that way
> before. But even my old standby recipe (aka Betty Crocker) has been
> burning around the edges. I'll break out the oven thermometer and check the
> temp. Thanks.
>
> laurie

If the temperature of your oven is off by the same amount at any set
temperature then you might be able to remove the temperature control
knob and adjust it so it shows the correct temperature. That way you
won't have to remember to adjust the temperature for a given recipe.
When the oven is set to bake do both heating elements come on? If the
top element is coming on along with the bottom element it may be
toasting your brownies.

> wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> laurie wrote:
>> Nah, it's just a standard electric oven. Yesterday I took the magic bars
>> out 5 minutes early (fairly significant when they're only supposed to
>> cook
>> for 25 min.), when the center was still sticky looking, and the edges are
>> burned. It still seems like the center could have been cooked a bit more
>> (though they're edible). The brownie recipe I tried last week actually
>> was
>> a new recipe, one with butter melting with the sugar on the stove first,
>> maybe that had something to do with it. I've never made brownies that
>> way
>> before. But even my old standby recipe (aka Betty Crocker) has been
>> burning around the edges. I'll break out the oven thermometer and check
>> the
>> temp. Thanks.
>>
>> laurie
>
> If the temperature of your oven is off by the same amount at any set
> temperature then you might be able to remove the temperature control
> knob and adjust it so it shows the correct temperature. That way you
> won't have to remember to adjust the temperature for a given recipe.
> When the oven is set to bake do both heating elements come on? If the
> top element is coming on along with the bottom element it may be
> toasting your brownies.
>

In some ovens, the top element comes on during preheat. But, if it comes on
after that, it's either a badly designed oven, or it's broken.

laurie wrote:

> Whenever I make brownies or magic bars with my new oven, they burn around
> the edges (well, the magic bars did even in my old oven, but the brownies
> never did). I've tried both glass and metal pans, to no avail. What am I
> doing wrong? The oven seems to be right on temperature with everything
> else, so I don't think it's a temperature issue.
>

I had all sorts of baking problems when I had a Viking oven. I was advised to
get better baking pans. That helped a bit. We got rid of that unit and got a
Maytag and things turned out beautifully.

"Nexis" > wrote in message >
> Also when spreading the batter in the pan, make it so there is a slight
> indentation in the center. It will even out for the most part during the
> baking, but it seems to help the center get a little bit of a headstart.
>
> Get an oven thermometer and check the temperature on your oven. Even a 10
> degree difference can matter. Make sure it's at the proper temperature
> before putting the brownies in. Make sure your ingredients are the same
> (room) temp. Don't over-mix the batter. Use light (colored), uncoated,
> medium to heavy weight pans, and you can line the edges in foil or use
> those cake strips around the sides of the pan in the last 15 min or so.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> kimberly

That helped a lot, thanks!

laurie

>
>

"Dave Smith" > wrote in message
...
> laurie wrote:
>
>> Whenever I make brownies or magic bars with my new oven, they burn around
>> the edges (well, the magic bars did even in my old oven, but the brownies
>> never did). I've tried both glass and metal pans, to no avail. What am
>> I
>> doing wrong? The oven seems to be right on temperature with everything
>> else, so I don't think it's a temperature issue.
>>
>
> I had all sorts of baking problems when I had a Viking oven. I was advised
> to
> get better baking pans. That helped a bit. We got rid of that unit and
> got a
> Maytag and things turned out beautifully.

THis is just a standard GE Electric with the flat burners. I like it a lot,
except for this issue.

laurie

>
>
>