Small-Batch Brownies Are Ideal for Date Night
Because sometimes less truly is more (meaningful).
Andrea Patton
Get The All-New Food Network Kitchen App
Download Food Network Kitchen now to sign up and take advantage of the latest offer and get 40+ live classes a week, hundreds of on-demand cooking classes, in-app grocery ordering and so much more.
In this series, we're showing off some of the coolest recipes, tips and tricks we've learned from chefs in the all-new Food Network Kitchen app.
With Valentine's Day right around the corner, there's a good chance you've been thinking about how to sneak some alone time with your significant other, especially if you're parents (mom of three here!).
Cookbook author Christina Lane cooks and bakes for two — couples, newlyweds or empty-nesters, as she puts it. Though that may not seem ideal for my family of five, it perfectly fits the bill on that rare occasion when we actually put the kids to bed at a reasonable time on a Friday and have time for a romantic dinner ... with dessert.
Thanks to Christina's Small Batch Brownies class, you can have a perfectly portioned dessert that's an ideal finale for a romantic night at home. As Christina says on the Food Network Kitchen app, they're appropriate "anytime you can't be trusted around a large pan of brownies."
Her recipe makes two large bakery-size brownies or four smaller brownies, and it comes together with ingredients you most likely already have in your cupboard — even better if you're pulling off a last-minute date night!
"Plenty of sugar is actually what makes brownies crackly and shiny on top, so don't skimp on the sugar," she advises. Noted. (For the record, I'm a strong believer date night is not the time to worry about your sugar intake and calories. If you've been married for almost 10 years like I have, you know these nights are rare, so just enjoy yourself!)
And, chewy brownie lovers, rejoice. Christina knows just how you get that mouthwatering texture you crave; it all depends on a little muscle.
She also shares fantastic tips on how to fit parchment paper to your loaf pan, which, I'm not going to lie, I seriously questioned initially. Hint: A little cooking spray works like magic! And the loaf pan is key to brownies-for-two.
Once the brownies have cooled to room temperature, the dessert course can begin.
"When the brownie sticks to the knife, you know they're nice and fudgy," Christina says.
Now get yourself and your date each a big glass of milk, and enjoy this entire batch of rich brownies before the kids wake up tomorrow.
We Also Recommend
