Southern Living staffers taste and review the Barefoot Contessa’s most Southern recipes.
You dont have to be Southern to believe in the power of acast-iron skillet.
Cast iron retains heat and distributes it evenly, which helps givebrowniescrisp edges and a tender, cakey center.
Credit: Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Christine Kelly Food Stylist: Ali Ramee
Even Ina Garten is a fan of this method.
So we decided to puther recipeto the test.
While we adore Ina, will her brownie recipe pass muster with Southern Living staffers?
Credit:Southern Living
And when its in a skillet, I realized you dont have to wait for it to cool.
It can be served hot out of the oven.
Logic we can all get behind!
Credit:Southern Living
Unlike most brownie recipes, this one is a bit persnickety.
Then the dry ingredients are sifted and combined with the egg-chocolate mixture, and some extra chocolate chips.
Ina calls the brownies hot, gooey, and delicious.
(Sifting the flour also gives them a delicate crumb.)
Our Cast-Iron Skillet Brownies
If you compare ourCast-Iron Skillet Brownie recipeside-by-side with Inas, theyre very similar.
But the brownie almost fell apart as I was eating it.
Maybe they are best eaten straight out of the skillet, like Ina did?"
“It’s so crumbly!
But not dry, which I find confusing?
Very good chocolate flavor, though.
Not very sweet.”
“Very strong chocolate punch but in a good way.
I love the chocolate chips.”
“Love how moist it is!
Wish it wasn’t so crumbly but the chocolate is great and has the perfect amount of richness.”
“The brownie melts in your mouth.
I’m assuming she uses ‘good’ chocolate, and in this case it pays off flavor-wise.
The little pieces of chocolate throughout are nice too.”
“In this case, store-bought isn’t fine!
They don’t hold up to these delicious brownies of Ina’s!”
Final Thoughts
We loved these brownies!
They are on the delicate, crumbly side, though.
Fix this problem by baking and eating straight from the skillet while still warm, as Ina recommends.
