Brownies on the Edge!

I finally bought the Baker’s Edge pan for brownies. This is a product that has been on the market for some time now and I have been curious about it. Our shop started carrying this pan recently and I took the plunge.

This specialty pan was the brain child of a young man who loved corner section brownies. It first appeared on the retail market in 2005 and has been a big hit ever since. It is a simple redesign of the basic rectangular baking pan, having three new walls built in to give the pan a maze like appearance. The concept is simple: create a brownie where each piece will have at least two sides of chewy, crunchy edges.

My first thoughts right out of the box are that it is minimally packaged – good for the environment; the simple cardboard box it is packed in can be recycled. The pan is made in the USA – it is good to see that quality, affordable products are being made here at home by inventive, young Americans. By not being produced overseas, our economy is strengthened and the product’s carbon footprint is drastically reduced.

The baking pan is made of cast aluminum and has a fantastic non-stick coating or surface. This surface is NOT Teflon, which once again is good for the environment. It is so good at not sticking, we couldn’t get a price sticker or tape to adhere to the inside.

The product included an instruction and recipe booklet as well as a special serving spatula. Nice touches.

After following the initial care and usage instructions, I set out to make the first brownie recipe included in the booklet.

The recipe itself seemed simple and straightforward like a good brownie recipe should be. Remember, a brownie is nothing more than a dense chocolate cake without any extra leavening; some even believe the first “brownie” was nothing more than a fallen cake.

Operationally, I found the pan very similar to many other cast aluminum baking pans. I used a light spray from a Baker’s Joy-like product vice coating with butter. I felt there was more than enough butter in the recipe and that the additional heat capacity of the pan might encourage too much browning if I used butter.

After getting the mix together, I began to pour the batter into the pan. Key point #1 – I found it odd at first to pour it around the back and forth pattern of the maze-like interior. Like you, I am used to just pouring the batter into the pan and spreading it smooth with a spatula. Here you have to fill in the trough scraping from the bowl as you go, then you can spread it like normal.

I slid it into the heated oven and set a timer. All went as planned until the end. I stuck a toothpick in the brownies and thought they needed more time, but I forgot to pay close enough attention in the closing minutes. It looked fine on top but the bottom/sides were a “bit” too firm; not burned but overdone. This can happen when one uses a specialty pan for the first time. I got lazy at the end and over cooked it. I should have pulled it sooner. It isn’t the pan’s fault, it was mine. Key point #2 – This pan will cook differently than one is used to; so it is very important to know the true temperature of your oven. If your oven burns hotter than indicated, you run the risk of over baking.

The specs of the pan are…

Size – 9″x13.5″x2″ (their material says 9x12x2 but this does not include the handles)

Material – cast aluminum

Interior volume – 11 cups

Function-

Generally, any recipe from standard box mixes and recipes designed for 9”x9” or 9”x13” pans will work; adjustments aren’t usually necessary. Remember, you can make more than just brownies with this pan. You can make all manner of bars and baked goods where you think it would be good to have edges or rectangular shaped pieces. Why not try your favorite tea cake recipe? The Baker’s Edge website even lists lasagna as a dish to prepare in this pan. The boundaries are limited only by your imagination. If the inventor can press the envelope creating this pan, why not be the one who creates new ways to use it?

Because it is a non-stick surface, always use utensils made of vinyl, silicon, or wood. Why not use the spatula included in the package? Turners and spatulas with a blade width of 2” or less will fit the pan most effectively. DO NOT use metal or other sharp utensils! Regardless of which tool you use, it’s always a good idea to be gentle. Scraping the pan or applying heavy pressure could scuff or scratch the nonstick coating.

If you’ve used a nonstick cooking spray, clean-up shouldn’t require more than a sponge and a rinse. For occasional stuck-on bits, soak the pan in hot water for a few minutes and then wash. However, don’t use abrasives (e.g. steel wool, scouring pads, or harsh chemical fluids) as they can damage the pan. Dishwashers can also damage nonstick bakeware, so the company recommends hand washing. This isn’t as big a deal as it may seem, there are very few baking pans I own that I can put in the dishwasher, in fact I can’t think of any. I hand wash them all. Most are made of the sorts of materials that could easily rust or just don’t do well in the dishwasher.

I do have a couple of criticisms. One, I wish they had left the handles off entirely. I don’t think it would make it any harder to put in or out of the oven AND more importantly, the pan would fit in a toaster oven. It would be great not to have to fire up my big oven to make these tasty treats. Two, I’d like to see more guidance on what to expect of the finished product. Any time you create a very unique specialty pan you need to give the users a proper expectation (i.e. more detail on cooking times and finished product). I have found people need hand holding the first time they use something unique. Additional detail seems to be available on their website, why not put more guidance in the booklet?

In closing, in spite of the fact that my first batch was over cooked, it was still very tasty. When done right, the brownie will have a balance of crunch and a surprisingly moist inside. Now, I have a colleague who loves only the center gooey part of a brownie, if you are like him and not a fan of crust or edge, this pan may not be for you. For everyone else, the Baker’s Edge pan is worthy of a place in your pantry.

To buy this pan just click here…