Geoffrey Zakarian Bakes His Brownies In A Cast Iron Pan, And You Should Too
Some call for melted chocolate, others use cocoa powder instead, but no matter what brownie recipe you're making, the last step is usually always the same: you pour the batter into a square or rectangular pan. When the brownies are cooled and out of the oven, you're able to cut them up into squares or bars. This may be the classic brownie shape, but it's not the norm in Geoffrey Zakarian's household.
In an episode of "The Kitchen" (via Food Network), the celebrity chef revealed that his daughters actually like to make brownies in a tart pan instead, and they slice them up into pie-shaped slices when baked. Zakarian took to his Instagram to share the link to the recipe but used a cast iron skillet rather than a tart pan in his video. As it turns out, his daughters were onto something when they did away with the traditional square brownie pan, because according to Geoffrey Zakarian, it isn't the best option.
Why Geoffrey Zakarian bakes his brownies in a cast iron skillet
Arguably the biggest appeal of baking brownies in a rectangular pan is that you get edge brownies — the ultra-chewy pieces that are many people's favorite. As Lifehacker explains, the brownies along the edges of the pan are the chewiest simply because more of the batter comes in direct contact with hot metal. When this happens, the sugar in the batter is able to caramelize and crisp up a lot better, especially if the pan is well-greased with oil.
If you bake your brownies in a cast iron skillet, this occurs on every slice, not just the edge pieces. "I love baking in cast iron because of the even heating," Geoffrey Zakarian captioned his brownie video (via Instagram). "Plus, it's perfect for that gorgeous crisp/chewy brownie edge." Due to the fact that cast iron absorbs more heat, Homestead How-To recommends baking the brownies for five to 10 minutes less than you would in your normal brownie pan.
What happens when you bake brownies in a cast iron pan?
If you don't like edge brownies, a cast iron skillet may not be the best choice, because the way it heats up pretty much guarantees the entire batch will turn out chewy. The darker the pan, the more heat it will retain, the Detroit Free Press shares, and cast iron skillets are no exception. More heat retention means faster browning, and that ultimately translates to brownies with more caramelized, chewier edges.
Aluminum pans or those with a light-colored, nonstick coating do the opposite. Since they don't absorb heat as fast, the brownies will take longer to brown, leaving you with a soft rather than chewy texture. Glass pans take the longest to heat, Saveur points out, so the brownies will need more time to bake, and may even dry out in the process. For the best results, therefore, take it from Geoffrey Zakarian and opt for cast iron next time you bake brownies.