I finally admit boxed brownie mix beats my from-scratch recipe after 14 years

So I've been making this fudgy brownie recipe from my aunt since college, swear by it, brought it to every party, got compliments every time. Last month my sister brings a pan of grocery store Ghirardelli mix to our family BBQ and mine was sitting right next to it. People grabbed hers first, ate all of hers, I had half a pan left. Ngl, I was salty about it and did a blind taste test at home with 3 neighbors. Hers won 3-0, hands down. Texture was better, crackly top, took half the time and about $4 less in ingredients. I still think my recipe tastes good but the convenience and consistency is hard to beat. Has anyone else had to surrender to a boxed version of something after years of homemade pride?

3 comments

3 Comments

parker_park820d ago

and honestly the real winner here is the whole "crackly top" thing. Ive spent years trying to get that paper thin shiny crust on homemade brownies and it never hits right unless you beat the eggs forever and even then its hit or miss. Box mix just has that science dialed in with the right fat ratio and lecithin or whatever they put in there. Also people sleep on the fact that box mixes are basically idiot proof for texture, you can overmix em and they still come out chewy not tough. I bet your aunt's recipe is still better for like a super dense fudge situation but for everyday crowd pleasing? Yeah the box wins and its not even close.

victorb7420d ago

My neighbor Larry, the one who judges every baked good like he's on a cooking show, pointed out something I never thought about. Boxed mixes are basically standardized. My aunt's recipe changes based on humidity, egg size, even the pan I use. One time I made it in a glass pan instead of metal and it came out totally different. Mixes are made so the same bag of powder gives you the same brownie in Phoenix or Seattle or wherever. That consistency is worth a lot when you're bringing something to a potluck and you cant control the kitchen you're using. The box is like a guarantee, my recipe is a gamble.

the_jamie20d ago

Man, I've been there. My wife's grandma's cornbread recipe lost to a Jiffy box last Thanksgiving and I felt like I was betraying the family. But honestly, once you accept it, life gets easier. I keep a backup box mix in the pantry for when I need something quick, and I save the homemade stuff for when I actually have time to babysit the oven. You just gotta pick your battles.