How to give brownies a smooth, glossy top

[@nathanielorend9641]

I love how the answer is the first thing he says, he doesn’t make you wait ten minutes for a solution. This is why I like his channel.

[@ft594]

Click for the answer, stay for the explanation

[@mirkomarjanovic3234]

@@ft594 damn straight

[@Noway-sg8md]

"Inverted Pyramid journalism"

[@ejej_shej7958]

@@videlvasq some people never even get to the conclusion at all unfortunately

[@ChronicalV]

Feels like he got everything down to a science, and its just really entertaining to watch

[@nishantchittari]

This guy releases an almost 18-minute video, but reveals the biggest secrets in the first few sentences. Props to you, Adam.

[@zhiracs]

His background is in journalism. That's a pretty standard technique--start broad, narrow it down, conclude broad again.

[@Solbashio]

I wonder why actual ads don't do this..they never get to the point early on and if they did I'd actually listen

[@nicholasskovdal3936]

@@zhiracs It certainly isn't a very standard technique when it comes to KZbin videos, where the clickbait is strong and viewtime is king. Therefore, props.

[@heshuimu]

And he did not even use clickbait title like "I baked 50 Brownies etc etc" and matching "sad face" thumbnails. Props.

[@pramadito]

and that's why i love adam ragusea

[@allisonn2499]

Adam this brownie skin thing is becoming an obsession

[@se.w2085]

Good

[@jozefsim3843]

It became an obsession long time ago

[@akashganesan9168]

But think of all the heterogeneity the skin will provide!

[@TheSlavChef]

25 pounds later Yes, yes, YEEEES the perfect brownie!!!!

[@HeavyMetalMike]

This is his niche, crazy detailed oriented food vids, just posting another recipe wouldn't help him stand out

[@louisivan4079]

"Dad I'm full" "No worries, just 8 more pans left"

[@UBvtuber]

I think he said in an AMA that he cooks lots of food in off-hours and throws a lot of it away. Hopefully by now he's stopped wasting so much, but that was his old process.

[@OrangeCreamsicle]

*just 8 more pans*

[@emaa_m]

Hi full I'm dad

[@anyagutzie3694]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@fireflieer2422]

hahahahahaahaha oh my god you guyd

[@trishmaloney5674]

There’s a brownie recipe with just Nutella, almond flour, eggs, and salt that is my go to and perfect skin every time - now I know why, all the finely dissolved sugar in the Nutella! Thanks Adam!

[@CupoTress]

Oooh! What is it?

[@StonedtotheBones13]

Mmmmm that sounds yummy

[@aaronandannelogan]

Holy cow, that sounds fantastic

[@FireTurkey]

The people have to know!

[@catd8929]

could you share the recipe please?

[@hemendraande9265]

I literally don’t have anything bad to say about this video. The amount of work that went into this is unfathomable. Nothing but respect for Adam.

[@NathanTAK]

Imma be honest, it sounds like you might be bad at fathoming.

[@RaveDecoy242]

@@NathanTAK Especially when the whole video showed and told the said amount of work that went into this. So yes, completely fathomable, with video evidence.

[@Asak999]

i imagine Adam sitting on a chair looking at a wall with a bunch of recipes cutouts, a bunch of pins and yarn connecting everythings and he screaming "WHERE'S THE GLOSSY TOP?"

[@billl5297]

😂😂😂

[@deusdragonex]

Well, now I have the Pepe Silvia rant going through my head. "Now let's talk about brownies. Can I talk to you about brownies, please, Mac? I been dying to talk with you about brownies all day."

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

That's it! That's the one thing missing from Adam Ragusea's aesthetic.

[@zachrichardson5581]

"Hey dad when is dinner.." "WHENEVER I FIGURE THIS SHIT OUT! I NEED THE SKIIINNN!"

[@MilicaAlbus]

"Peoples methods work, its simply the reasoning, or the explenation of those methods that is false" words to cook by. Thank you Adam for reaserching the science behind these things. Most cooking youtubers just say that sometning is the right way of cooking a thing without much explenation of "why" Sorry if I butchered some English here and there

[@jinnjijinnji8389]

Nah the English is fine, no need to worry.

[@milicagosic]

Same name😎

[@MilicaAlbus]

Slavs unite 😂

[@ileutur6863]

@@milicagosic Adam brat najbolji kuvar bree

[@Idk-do1ui]

No sure how you butcher English though when you’re typing with auto correct

[@alistercat]

This whole video feels like he discovered something that he urgently wants all of humanity to know, or like he stayed up all night every night for two weeks until he figured out the secret.

[@ncrranger6327]

Exactly what I thought lmao

[@ReddoFreddo]

That's what it is, it's not just how it feels

[@Baccalarium]

Adam - I very seldom comment on KZbin videos. As a scientist myself and a fan of scientific cooking: bravo. This was incredibly done. I really appreciate this type of content - please do more of this in the future!

[@Ogaitnas900]

This was a great showcase of empirical thinking. I feel that this kind of process is how restaurants or chefs reach their magic secret recipes for staple foods backstage. Exciting payoff for the brownie series. Dr. Sörensen was a great accomplice expert, cool mythbusters vibe to the whole thing 😄

[@pennyforyourthots]

In my experience, chefs mostly work on trail and error and common knowledge. Less testing a hypothesis with specific variables, and more "throw shit till it sticks" or complete accidents lol

[@richardellinghaus7752]

Chefs at a restaurant don't do this that much, but food scientists at industrial companies like Betty Crocker absolutely do this!

[@austinthrowsstuff]

Yeah like a restaurant usually isn’t doing any science. But fast food... they have full companies based on learning these things

[@dannygee_6051]

@@pennyforyourthots yeah its more plausible and easier than doing recipes hypotheticaly

[@fxm5715]

I used to have a subscription to Cooks Illustrated, and the process of testing a recipe was one of the most interesting and useful parts. They'd tell you a bunch of things they tried and their reasoning and the science for why it didn't work as well as the final recipe. Good cooking isn't just using good recipes, it's understanding what and why you cook, so you aren't constrained by someone else's formula.

[@Xzosk1]

Adam's kids: "Dad can we please have some vegeta-" Adam: "NO! WE'RE HAVING BROWNIES FOR THE NEXT THREE DAYS"

[@kaylanbuyukcetin5274]

the SHOCKING SECRET to feeding your family endless chocolate and butter

[@fantomagnik]

Vegeta???

[@staypositive4149]

@@fantomagnik vegetables*

[@Shaboodle414]

@@fantomagnik he's saying that to have a cutoff which kinda makes it funnier

[@jas7256]

adam is a good parent. he makes his kids beg for vegetables

[@joaovictorsilva3092]

"Man makes brownie that reflects 100% of light"

[@Necro_fury]

lol gonna have a hard candy mirror crust hahaha

[@sambird7946]

I wonder how much light sugar reflects? And if there’s any material that actually reflects 100% of light, I think silver only does 98%

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Mirror brownies, now there's an idea.

[@chuckbossart]

@@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 A hall of brownie mirrors sounds delicious

[@Basomic]

Home cook develops brownies with total internal reflection. Expected to replace fiber optics by 2022.

[@kurtphair1446]

I eagerly await your next edition of "Adam's Epidermal Obsession" where you tackle soup skin and fruit leather.

[@WanderTheNomad]

I would love a video on soup skin

[@luigi7146]

Or pudding skin

[@auugh43546]

or human skin

[@BrenWV]

I can’t even begin to express how impressed I am with this research. You have made me want to experiment to find the perfect brownie recipe. My wife and I are in batch 2 of your recipe from the other video and have had different results for both, but they are improving. On to round 3!

[@sirnopants2860]

"Dad? Can you stop making brownies? We really miss you-" "NO, THE SKIN ISN'T PERFECT. I NEED TO PERFECT THE SKIN!"

[@ummeatiachowdhury5623]

i wanna know what he actually did with all those brownies, and how much money and stuff he wasted for this project

[@ChaseMcCain81]

Lol

[@brianna3340]

Lool

[@z-beeblebrox]

What children on the planet would actually ask their parents to stop making brownies

[@ummeatiachowdhury5623]

@@z-beeblebrox Me

[@harrydoherty7329]

adam going through a major brownie phase at the moment

[@TheSteam02]

which brownie????

[@NoRodNeeded]

truly (hi jekus)

[@kelisnguyen5417]

@@NoRodNeeded OMG HULLOWE NORODNEEDED

[@Bdubs-no7pe]

Sort of. He's just milking this one thing that he can get three videos out of. Two brownie science videos and one brownie recipe video.

[@nitrocaaa]

The anime brownie arc

[@d3modawid]

Hey Adam, as a nerd who loves both cooking and science, I'd like to thank you for going full science mode on us. I enjoyed this video waaaaay too much. Here's to more experiments with carefully controlled variables and experts helping interpret the data!

[@kunalns]

Me one week ago: "Holy shit, Adam baked 50 brownies for just one video?!" Me today, three videos later: "Ok now it makes sense"

[@AntonLFG]

Goodness gracious this episode and that intro really just makes me appreciate that much more that Adam decided to pursue this career to the benefit of ALL OF US.

[@sirsamuel12345]

Honestly though, this man is the most informative, entertaining, and likeable FoodTuber that I’ve seen. On a level with Chef John. I don’t eat desserts but I’ve been eagerly waiting for the conclusion of this series. Bravo, Signor Ragusea.

[@jetjet6560]

Chef John and J. Kenji López-Alt are like the s-tier foodtubers!

[@tedlovejesus]

Insert chef John intro music 🥳👏🏻👏🏻

[@TheSlavChef]

Chef John is classic!

[@lepe]

lol are you really comparing his style of content to Chef John? you're full of it

[@pennyforyourthots]

@@lepe style? No. Quality? Yes.

[@SuperPokekami]

Adam I know for a fact that you do this on purpose but THANK YOU for telling me the answer and getting to the point in the first minute of the video. This is honestly the most honest KZbin content I've seen in ages and I'm addicted to watching and rewatching this channel My gf thinks I'm crazy for watching 40 odd minutes of brownie skin content but this is why 🤩

[@JesmondBeeBee]

"In later years the early 2021 spike in the sale of brownie box mixes would be named the 'Ragusea Effect'."

[@chilldude30]

I bought some for the first time in my life because of this video. Its in the oven now

[@blackjack2526]

@@chilldude30 Is the result satisfactory?

[@gaye7256]

@@chilldude30 how did the brownies go? did it have the effect?

[@January1983_1]

To this day, Joey Stocato is believed to STILL have brownies in his oven

[@ausore9832]

@@January1983_1 at this point are they even brownies?

[@stevenneiman1554]

I don't even care about getting brownies with good skin, but I always enjoy leaning about the science of this stuff.

[@CB-ys8jl]

I really love how you went all in on this.

[@ishvalda_]

The more I hear Adam says "as the brits would say" the more I think that he's a weeaboo but for Britain. A tea-aboo if you will.

[@manspaghetti6351]

'ea-aboo

[@jxo_ey8587]

@@manspaghetti6351 im irish, similar pronunciation, but we dont pronounce tea like that.

[@jas7256]

a britaboo

[@AMTunLimited]

Anglophile

[@ishvalda_]

@@AMTunLimited your too clever for your own good

[@SuperCheeseGod]

"Happy skin hunting!" Long live the empire

[@calebkoilpillai2251]

I like how adam doesn't gravitate towards "trendy" cooking or food things - its cool to see that hes genuinely interested in what he cooks and learns about

[@geeell1917]

The discussion on crystal formation reminded me of chocolate tempering, where tempered chocolate forms a snappy, shiny surface when cooled. This is due to the correct crystals forming while the chocolate cools under carefully monitored temperatures with agitation. One method of encouraging the correct crystals to form is by "seeding" the cooling chocolate with some already tempered chocolate, allowing the newly forming chocolate crystals to latch on to the existing tempered chocolate latticework and form the desired crystal structure more readily. I wonder if it would help to allow your batter to evenly disperse the dissolved sugar over a long period of time, and then seed the surface of your brownies with a little sugar crystals just before baking?

[@KellyPie]

amazing idea!! I need to try this now.

[@gumiho.c]

That's actually a common misconception, you can easily make the chocolate form the right cristals by saying nice things to it

[@7ele5crivente]

- Adam, honey, your son is hungry. Can we have dinner? - Must. Find. Answers. Must. Bake. Brownies. - Mommy? What happened to Daddy? - Daddy is having a cooking breakdown sweetheart. - Again?

[@N00TBond]

😂😂😂

[@lynxwater2723]

I was kinda disappointed when he said it was sugar that made the crust. I was hoping it was white wine

[@oliverdelica2289]

🤣🤣🤣

[@milkshake3117]

LOL

[@serendipityshopnyc]

That just saves more white wine for drinking or other uses! :)

[@phoneheaded]

@@serendipityshopnyc Why would you drink white wine, everyone knows it's to use exclusively in dishes which you would not expect white wine.

[@serendipityshopnyc]

@@phoneheaded Personally I agree with you that white wine is not worth drinking, but I do use it in cooking savory dishes sometimes, and I understand there are people who actually drink the stuff!

[@hotdogfudge3000]

This needs to get some research award, best and most important cooking video of 2021

[@stealthycouch4496]

Adam is now the foremost expert on brownie skin in the world. Good resume builder.

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

He found an opportunity and took it.

[@nicholasreyna2164]

Adam: Makes 3 consecutive videos concerning brownies and their skin. Also Adam later in the vid: Just buy boxed brownie mix

[@Liamjlm]

When the imposter is sus! 😳

[@A.K-A.]

11:39 this batch looks very satisfying. I want to use this for something new, like combining it with another dessert.

[@ryanbutler6806]

Can we take a minute to appreciate how he straight up told us the answer at the start of the video?

[@zeroazimuth]

Adam next week: "Why I flavor my skin, not my brownie"

[@kaylanbuyukcetin5274]

"Western culinary canon." Sorry, I know what you mean but.. Is there a Western culinary cinematic universe? Are we gonna see the credits roll, and "Executive Producer: Chef John" roll across my screen?

[@xandorian8242]

no, it's the western culinary fanfiction made of people who don't bother to find the real reason behind why their recipe works

[@carwyn3691]

Western culinary canon implies the existence of a western culinary fanfic

[@nickmanville900]

I can't wait for the western culinary endgame.

[@withnail-and-i]

Lol at the people who think the word canon emerged with modern pop culture

[@ilovespidernoir]

western culinary canon, western culinary fanon

[@kestrelhawkins6078]

This is... just... wow! I have been making brownies since I'm 12 with my nana's recipe. We just used a regular chocolate bar, no extra sugar. I've always had a crust, but I thought it was a result of the eggs, and something about the whites reacting and separating out with the sugar in the chocolate and rising to the top, that would cause it. This is really interesting.

[@the_toeknee]

My man really dedicated two weeks to brownie videos. God I love you Adam.

[@abrahamhimself]

Next Video: “How to replace your own skin with brownie skin.”

[@GodMaxDrinkerofTea]

Don't do that. Don't give me hope.

[@GoldenHeartbeat]

@@GodMaxDrinkerofTea this and the above comment made my day better

[@GodMaxDrinkerofTea]

@@GoldenHeartbeat You have no idea how much I'm smiling after reading that. Glad we could help :D

[@dunkelschwarz1335]

If you bake too many brownies, you'll become the brownie.

[@GodMaxDrinkerofTea]

@@dunkelschwarz1335 if you bake the right brownies, you also become baked

[@qbNone]

You're stopping too soon Adam! We need a full 5 episodes! What about skin with agave? What if you add bacon? What if it's a full moon?! The people need to know!

[@lastgame6683]

Love these series on researching food stuff much more than only food videos, as food is associated with culture developed over time so that appreciation or new development makes the dish more worthwhile and meaningful. Hope to see more of these type of series or one off episodes.

[@edwardphilibin3151]

"Daddy, why are there so many brownies in the kitchen?" "Because SCIENCE, son." ".... I love science, Daddy!" "As well you scould, my child."

[@TheKinkielass]

adam: earnestly explaining brownie skins me: his guns tho

[@dadankracoon4060]

Lmao

[@marchi.fleming]

I ain't tryna be all objectify-y but mreow lol 😁❤

[@Aohngalli52311]

@@marchi.fleming what?

[@LotusHearted]

@@Aohngalli52311 They’re talking about his arms. They think it’s attractive.

[@Aohngalli52311]

@@LotusHearted ah

[@soltastic]

I've never been this invested in a series about something so specific

[@user-rl4tg2mr9n]

i remember adding marshmallows one time, and they melted and rose to the top. It was glossy, but also really sweet, and I've never been able to recreate it

[@willfiguex1]

Adam's kids: dad, please, I need to eat something else. It has been 2 weeks of brownies Adam: here's the overnight batter with powdered sugar 😎

[@gaye7256]

😂

[@gaye7256]

don't forget the Trade coffee 😁

[@falxie_]

One of my best takeaways here is that if you don't have powdered sugar you can let the mixture set overnight for a similar affect

[@mariakraft9051]

was looking for this! was also wondering if anyone tried leaving it overnight to get brownie skin...did you try it and get the result? Thank you 😊

[@lauramorgan3241]

I am in awe of this scientific process. I have long sworn that powdered sugar made the difference because a visual inspection confirms that boxed brownie mixes with their perfect results simply do not contain granulated sugar. Nor do they contain whole chocolate most times! It is such a wonderful feeling to have a certain answer, and a surefire way to make *any* brownie recipe better. Thank you so much for this!!!

[@jya167]

Lol a 3 part series: this has to be the most nerdy thing I’ve ever seen,( NOT trying to offend anyone I love this “nerdy” channel!) 😁

[@andrewtaylor5972]

I love it

[@uddinmashrafe]

It’s not really nerdy like he’s literally making brownies

[@eugeemz]

Thats not what nerdy means

[@xLarsZocktx]

My mans never heard of French Guy Cooking huh

[@kaylanbuyukcetin5274]

I've watched a 90 minute KZbin video on the intricacies of fan-percieved relationships in the TV show Sherlock. That proved to me something: the more nerdy a video is, the more entertaining it'll likely be. EDIT: Though to be fair, 40 minutes of top brownie-skin production tips is also pretty nerdy. Still great though.

[@tariqattyat]

I feel like Adam's household has a name for this "brownie hiatus" he's having

[@Darktrooper0]

"IT PUTS THE BROWNIES ON ITS SKIN" - Adam for the past few videos

[@KeithOlson]

Another highly informative video. Bravo, Adam! My takeaway: 1. Pour the batter into the pan, then place (uncovered?) in the fridge until the sugar dissolves. This will give a nice flat surface as it is poured before its viscosity increases. Also, leaving it uncovered will dry out the surface. 2. As I like brownies that are *MUCH* less sweet than the norm, I think that I will pour a thin layer of the 'maximum skin' recipe on *top* of my lower-sugar version. In theory that *should* give me the best of both worlds. 3. It would be interesting to see if this works on other baked goods.

[@lilisz1433]

Ok, so I followed the recipe, leaving out the molasses and the sweetened condensed milk, I added a little bit of evaporated coffee instead. It came out the right amount of sweetness for my taste, but as expected, no flakey layer. I'll experiment with evaporating more water from the coffee and adding more powdered sugar to compensate for the lack of sweetened condensed milk, and with applying this knowledge to the king arthur flour brownie recipe, which I've liked in the past! I like this type of troubleshooting recipe add-on, I think more of this is needed in the culinary space! Mine took 25 minutes to bake, with the fan on.

[@gabriel_gebril]

You're on an absolute roll man, fully in the zone. Can't wait to try this one out.

[@bastardlly6406]

"Only a lunatic like me does that." Me, who spent a month experimenting with pie crust: *Allow me to introduce myself.* Edit: Due to the fact that I have almost no money I can't post the experiments right now. I'd have to go make them all over because my dumbass brain forgot to record them. However, maybe some time in the future i'll be able to do it. (Also due to the fact that I have to focus on school lol)

[@jae8374]

Please share your knowledge 🙏

[@Sam-hi4ce]

we need these results

[@klassmagicker]

What did you find? You can't just leave us hanging like this.

[@mylifeisaparty]

Release the excel NOW

[@squidthekidrsatthesquidarm4338]

TELL US YOUR SECRETS

[@ЛъчезарИванов-з1и]

I've never thought that I would be so interested in brownie skin...

[@NinjaLLR]

When you started talking about the sucrose recrystallisation I was just thinking about how much I now want to put all of these brownies into an XRD machine and an electron microscope

[@DarkLordDeimos]

I am sure my lab colleagues would look at me funny once they saw the SDS for brownie ingredients if I put in an XRD test request. On a side note, I wonder what the optimal crystallite size is for brownie skin...

[@slimer2135]

1:54 "a pinch of salt" he says and immediately after pours in the flour giving me a heart attack

[@anyoneelsebutme5757]

Underrated

[@Kevin-mx9cy]

"A pinch of salt" *dumps 794625 times the recommended dose of salt per day*

[@sirsamuel12345]

Me: I really love the crispy skin on this bakery’s brownies. I wish I could make these at home. Adam: Hold my white wine.

[@ariebirb]

Lol

[@doege6263]

_Hold my Homogeneity_

[@crazycruiserclips]

Day 30: _I have been making and eating brownies for a straight month trying to perfect the skins of my brownies_

[@nuvan83]

Curiously, I have also gained twenty pounds over the same time period. Perhaps there is a correlation? I must make more brownies to test this intriguing new hypothesis.

[@lux2mars]

I feel you so much, when I learn to cook something, I get obsessed with it until I find the perfect way to do it, and I need to try all the methods to know which one is better and why. I went though a huge and long phase of sourdough bread making... Needless to day the methods are endless and it took me a long time to figure out how to do it right. Also happened to me with fresh pasta making. You make me feel like I'm not crazy and it's ok to want to go to the bottom of things, thanks Adam!

[@limiv5272]

Or maybe you just found a fellow crazy person...

[@rishamohd1953]

Do you mind sharing how to do it right ?

[@Bebopopotamus]

I love that you answered the question in the first 10 seconds of the video.

[@Amixtika]

The science behind baking is literally mind blowing. Amazing video, thank you for the hard work you put into this.

[@viktorkieturakis]

man, what a guy for telling us the big secret at the beginning of the video

[@squelchedotter]

"smooth glossy top" sounds like what I need in my life rn

[@brickyy3106]

😏😏😏😏😏

[@dadankracoon4060]

Lmao

[@jamesfrederick.]

This is epic I love the style you should do a series on perfect cake layers

[@mikezimmermann89]

As usual, great info and great presentation! That’s NOT easily achieved, so THANKS Adam for all the hard work. Hats off to your guest food scientist too! Her explanations were clear, concise and fun... in fact, the whole video was fun! Great job.

[@craigmackson7595]

Adam, been watching your videos for a while and I wanted to say how much I appreciate the dedication and research you have to topics regarding food. The combination of science and food is something I have come to love from your videos and I thank you for that. Excited to see what’s next!

[@Dht1kna]

13:26, Dont you just love when anime has continuity

[@SarahAbramova]

Nice

[@guyplus3053]

I don't get it.

[@coffeestainedwreck]

@@guyplus3053 References the same batch shown at 6:29 that had only partial skin.

[@SpoxManPro99]

Btw, my Grandma used to make powdered sugar with coffee grinder, greetings from Europe!

[@kkhorimoto]

Laughing to myself at the thought of Adam going to some random brick wall in his neighborhood to shoot that B roll

[@katyungodly]

I was thinking about that too 😂 "Why is that man out there with a spotlight aimed at a brick wall?"

[@shadedcorner]

I love how you answer the question of the video titles immediately and then go on to explain

[@tlniec]

The bigger picture here, which Adam has alluded to in other videos, is that the chemistry and physics of even "simple" cooking is so complex and full of subtleties that even apparently trivial changes can have large effects on the outcome. It's pretty amazing that minor differences in ingredient formulation (e.g. specific sugar in condensed milk), slightly different phases of chemically-identical ingredients (pulverized vs granular table sugar), differences in degree of aeration and dissolution (immediate baking vs letting batter stand awhile) can give such different results. This is exacerbated by the fact that eating is a multusensory experience (i.e. taste isn't the only thing that matters).

[@kingarthurthe5th]

Thank you for putting the “how” in the beginning. I really appreciate it :)

[@gui1542]

Well, that was an incredible series Adam! Please consider doing one for cakes as well!

[@johntitor1054]

Man literally told the answer to the title within 10 seconds damn

[@amynord6504]

Took your advice and it was the first time I've ever gotten skin on my favorite brownie recipie. The skin was strangely smooth though and only cracks when I cut the brownie. Thanks so much!

[@alexhurst3986]

Your two part brownie episode is the best cooking video on KZbin! I love the science behind food and these videos deliver! Thank you from a fellow food nerd.

[@annamariamarsigliese1609]

Christina Marsigliese author of scientifically sweet is the true scientist behind the shiny crust brownie. Not this guy. He stole her research.

[@hanoic]

11:38 "no skin at all" slightly agressively slams skinless brownie down

[@arifshahabuddin8888]

I guess it didn't have any skin in the game.

[@nahometesfay1112]

And they looked so good! Fudgy brownies deserve love too!

[@PredictableEnigma]

@@nahometesfay1112 I think fudge is good as its own seperate dish. Like for me anyways, wanting brownies or wanting fudge are two seperate cravings.

[@nahometesfay1112]

@@PredictableEnigma Cosmos are kinda in the middle and I like them. Fudge can be a bit much for me so it's nice to have that middle ground. A fudge lite if you will

[@caraouellette8605]

Love the science Adam, I hope your love of brownies hasn't been poisoned by your research regimen. Question: what do you think would happen if you just glazed the wet batter with sucrose syrup before baking?

[@tabithavanderpool418]

Oh like you just make a simple syrup to put on top? That might work but it might also make a more "candied" top so not the same as brownie skin

[@TheAlaGatorDA]

That sounds like a fun idea to experiment on

[@lizibeff]

kinda random but i really appreciate the “or as the brits say” as a brit

[@PockASqueeno]

I didn’t until now realize that people actually care about this so-called “brownie skin.” Personally all I care about is that they taste good.

[@austinkopp9811]

If you don't care about the texture, just eat the unbaked batter. But don't underestimate how texture plays into overall flavor- there are entire medical disciplines involved in solving textural intolerances to foods in a variety of patients

[@djma7soon754]

@@austinkopp9811 batter and baked food don’t taste the same I get what u mean but comparing batter to cooked brownies doesn’t make sense

[@tobiassiagian2562]

Well, sometimes skin can determine if a brownie is good or not

[@PockASqueeno]

@@austinkopp9811 Don’t get me wrong, texture does matter to a point-I don’t want my brownies to be hard as a rock or so chewy that they take five minutes just to eat one brownie…but brownie skin? I didn’t even realize that was a thing until I saw this video. Also, raw brownie batter actually is quite delicious.

[@katyungodly]

I love the crisp papery layer. I never really thought much about it before Adam Ragusea, but it is a nice touch.

[@paechan]

Adam is really out here revolutionizing brownie science. I hope he gets the recognition he deserves.

[@benb2794]

Don’t be forgetting beet sugar. It isn’t as widely known as cane sugar but after processing, the final product is identical - it’s just sucrose too

[@bcyl3857]

Adam I've a request! I've recently tried making crispy roast pork belly. Scouring KZbin for recipe videos was fruitful for many great renditions - yet a huge amount of inconsistency - not unlike what you've described with the various methods of achieving glossy top brownies. Some use vinegar to treat the skin, some use baking soda. Some swear by poking holes in the skin, some brush with oil before roasting. Do you think you could break down all the different methods and the science behind it?!

[@babitasingh330]

He really do be hitting us hard with these brownie videos one after another...

[@harrison1860]

i love how you tell us how first and then tell us how its so nice not looking to waste our time like other people do sometimes

[@needamuffin]

The crystal defect explanation is called "doping" and is actually the same principle that allows semiconductors to be turned into transistors that pretty much all electronics run on. Silicon boules are doped with specific combinations and arrangements of gallium, arsenic, phosphorous, and other similar nonmetals that change the crystal properties in very specific ways that mean you can control how electrons flow through the material.

[@iankellymorris]

Having just made three separate brownie recipes (the one I grew up with, Adam's, and Chef John's recent recipe), I find this to be pretty informative, but it also strikes me that brownie skin is not that important to me. Adam's recipe is like rice paper on top. I don't think I've ever had a brownie with such a substantial skin. Chef John's recipe whips a lot of air in, so it's very similar in texture to what Adam describes at around 11:00. The recipe from my childhood calls for oil, but I swapped it out for butter this time to remove that variable. It really did not form a crust, but it usually does when made with oil. I think it's super interesting to focus on such a narrow part of the brownie experience, but the value for me is descriptive rather than prescriptive.

[@iankellymorris]

For reference, I used Grandma's molasses and Food Club sweetened condensed milk and got a great skin. It's an n of one, but, again, it was the most skin I've ever had on a brownie.

[@jasonreed7522]

I'm lazy and just use a box, and never considered the skin as some essential component of the experience, probably explaining why my family always "frosts" out brownies with chocolate chips melted with the heat of the freshly baked brownies. I recommend trying it some time, just sprinkle whatever chocolate chips you like and once melted/goey spread with a butter knife. (The chips used don't need to be chocolate, peanut butter ones could probably taste really good, i need to try them next time) I also don't care much about the appearance of my food, all that matters is that it tastes good. (And is worth the effort if i am personally making it, my family stopped having turkey dinners for thanksgiving and instead do a prime rib roast because we like the taste more and its way less work/dishes.)

[@Thehomesteadinghippy]

"why I season my brownie skin, not my brownies"

[@dangogh7419]

Why I season my skin, not my brownies

[@Idk-do1ui]

@@dangogh7419 Why I skin, not brownies

[@cellohowslife5817]

Skin brownies

[@bryanw2961]

Me : (in the beginning), "so just use 'simple syrup"... Me: (after watching more), "oh, okay, I get it" Thanks Adam.

[@MrChris20912]

Thank you for this! The style reminds me a little of the original Good Eats episodes, except way more about why various pathways don't work, or at least what they might work out as. Fascinating! Always love the engineering of food deep dives.

[@yashalnaeem]

I can't thank you enough for this Adam!!! Thankyou for solving this mystery behind glossy brownie skin

[@05Matz]

That was really good -- good science, good food, and great presentation! Thanks for this. Looking forward to more like it in the future!

[@MrRickulus]

Over 30 minutes of brownie specific content isn't something I would've expected to have enjoyed so much. Great miniseries!

[@kenn3758]

Me who hates the skin on brownies and never makes it from scratch: "Oh hell yeah I'm gonna wanna watch this"

[@berserknegs8932]

you are w ro n g

[@Appaddict01]

Here’s a great recipe without skin. They’re like really upgraded Little Debbie brownies. If you don’t have unsweetened chocolate. I like to switch out 1/4 cup of flour for 1/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ql69anaCfryfrq8

[@pennyfarting]

I mean this gives you a great idea of how to make brownies from scratch that *don't* have skin. Just make sure as much of the sugar content as possible comes from plain white sugar, don't whip it in, mix it over heat, or let the batter sit before baking, and use whole eggs rather than just yolks. You'll get a nice crusty top, but no glossy skin.

[@rusdanibudiwicaksono1879]

You can always steam/ au ban marie your brownies, if you don't like skin.

[@camerongunn7906]

Stay a rebel, sir.👍

[@fungchungb7976]

BEST EXPLANATION OF BROWNIES, I've tried 75 times of brownies, only can get a steady meringue skin but only a shiny skin for once. Thanks for your super detailed testing and explanations, I really appreciate it!

[@authorryankurr]

I haven’t done this much recipe testing in my 11 years as a pastry chef! Amazing! Fascinating stuff!