The Quickie Microwave Dessert I Make at Least Once a Week
We’ve all been there. It’s late in the evening and you have a strong craving for dessert. Unfortunately, you don’t have any desserts on hand and the idea of stepping into the kitchen to bake something like chocolate chip cookies or even a simple one-bowl cake is just too much. Too much work, too much mess, and quite possibly too much dessert. Because if you’re like me, you don’t need a whole cake, just enough for a party of one.
That’s why I keep “emergency” desserts in the freezer (and no, I’m not talking about that pint of ice cream). Think frozen cookie dough. You can easily freeze cookie dough in individual portions so that you can bake off a cookie or two whenever you want one. But did you know that you can do the same thing with brownie batter?
Why Frozen Brownie Batter is the Perfect Emergency Dessert
I love a warm cookie as much as anyone, but an ooey-gooey brownie has always been my favorite. Making a whole pan of brownies every time I have a craving though is not something I was ever inclined to do, and brownie batter isn’t easily portioned like stiff cookie dough. Enter: the ice cube tray.
Portioning out brownie batter into an ice cube tray and freezing it leaves you with the perfect amount of batter to make individual mini-brownies. You can bake them in the oven, or (as I often do) just pop one or two in a small bowl or mug and heat them in the microwave. The texture is not exactly the same as a brownie baked in the oven, but it is warm and fudgy and delicious.
Tips for Freezing Brownie Batter in an Ice Cube Tray
I learned this genius dessert hack from former colleague Morgan Bolling, who not only taught me about the ease of freezing brownie dough, but how to do it properly and pitfalls to avoid.
Grease the ice cube tray liberally with vegetable oil spray. Don’t be tempted to skip this step before portioning the batter. The batter will cement itself to the ice cube tray if you don’t.
Avoid trays that make large ice cubes. Too much batter will lead to a brownie that is overdone on the outside and raw (or possibly still frozen) in the middle. Stick to a relatively standard-size ice cube tray.
Microwave “brownie cubes” in 1-minute bursts. Microwave power can vary wildly from model to model. To avoid overcooking the brownies and turning them hard and dry, microwave them at 1-minute intervals until cooked through.
Make mini brownie ice cream sundaes. This is champion-level dessert making. If you have ice cream on hand, you can really have a treat by adding a scoop to the warm mini-brownies. In my opinion, it’s the best 2-minute dessert ever.
Further Reading
We Asked 3 Chefs to Name the Best Ice Cream, and They All Said the Same Thing
The One Cookware Brand That Gordon Ramsay Can’t Stop Talking About
Tuscan Chicken Is the "Most Delicious" Dinner of All Time, Says Everyone Who's Tried It
