Success Gone Awry

In recent weeks, two dessert experiments took place. One of which that turned out well, a red velvet cupcake mix from Williams-Sonoma again. The other, not so well, was a white chocolate blondie brownie mix purchased at Marshalls.

First, the Williams-Sonoma red velvet cupcakes. Ingredients called for the usual suspects, but a few others that were not so usual like buttermilk and white vinegar. I followed the directions except substituted buttermilk for skim milk and a few tablespoons of butter.

Cutting baking time down a few minutes shy of the recommended time and making a few additional cupcakes in excess of a dozen, all turned out great! Taste and consistency were perfect and the buttermilk substitution didn't seem to affect the flavor.

The next experiment was something called Tasty French Bakers Blondie Brownie mix. I spotted this at Marshalls and thought I'd give it a try. It called for simple ingredients like eggs and butter.

I used an 8 X 8 inch square glass pan. The baking time said 40-45 minutes for cake-like brownies. I set the timer for 35 minutes. About 25 minutes in, the brownies looked about done. Edges turned brownish and started to appear dry. I took them out of the oven, stuck a toothpick in and it came out dry. I was worried it may have been overcooked.

After cooling about 10 minutes, I began cutting into it and it was wet as if it was nowhere near done. This was confusing since I did the toothpick test and it was dry. So, I put it back in the oven for another 7 minutes or so. At this point, the top looked more brown, so I figured they had to be done now. Toothpick test again came out dry. Cooling another 5-10 minutes, then cutting, it was wet again on the inside! I don't get it?! The taste was good, but rich. The consistency came out all wrong. I was disappointed.