Domestic Thermodynamics or How Not to Burn the Brownies, Explained

Abstract

Anyone who has followed a recipe or used a commercial mix for baking brownies has probably experienced that the outer edge portions are burned, hard, and not as desired. This article offers an analysis of the baking process and a solution to the problem of overdone brownies. The process actually is a thermodynamic issue. Professional cooks, bakers, chefs, and baking mix manufacturers as well as the general public may benefit from an understanding of the technical features of the thermodynamics of heat transfer and how temperature rise and burning occurs in food materials.