Weird Smell!!

Decorating By Charmed Updated 12 Feb 2012 , 12:32am by scp1127

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Charmed Posted 9 Feb 2012 , 7:43pm
post #1 of 9

So I was making brownies (igna Garten recipe) which has chocolate, instant espresso baking powder flour and butter ...when I mixed the melted chocolate with sugar and coffee I started smelling a skunkie odor!! and now I put the batter in oven and I still smell that skunkie odor...I thought I was crazy so I asked my husband (who has a cold and he is odor impared right now!!) do you smell skunk? and he said yes I smell something like skunk! now I don't know what is happening... what's that smell? could it be the ingredients? well my eggs were good I bought them few days ago...anyone had similar odor problems with brownies? icon_biggrin.gificon_biggrin.gif

8 replies
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jgifford Posted 9 Feb 2012 , 8:38pm
post #2 of 9

If it wasn't your eggs or possibly the coffee, could it be an actual skunk in the neighborhood? Did the smell go away at all? How did the brownies turn out?

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kakeladi Posted 10 Feb 2012 , 1:20am
post #3 of 9

My thought also was that there is/was a skunk in the neighborhood.
Please od let us know how everything turned out icon_smile.gif

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Charmed Posted 10 Feb 2012 , 4:09am
post #4 of 9

I was looking for a skunk too!! but no skunk around!! icon_biggrin.gif
let me tell you about the brownies they we so oily....I was searching for the reason why this recipe came out so oily and I read that the oiliness comes from the type of butter and they mentioned butter from costco and sams. I always buy good quality butter but last week I bought butter from sam's and I don't know if anybody else have problem with the butter from sams or not. So I am sticking to the butter I always buy no more sams butter!!

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aundrea Posted 10 Feb 2012 , 4:35am
post #5 of 9

did you find where the odor was coming from?
i was up late last night doing fondant work-and we have a family of skunks in the neighborhood im used to them spraying around.
well last night-honestly it smelt like they were downstairs in my house! wowowowow!! it was the worst ive ever smelled.
i even went looking to see if somehow they got into the house.
anyways.....ive never had good luck with ina receipes. i dont know why?? i follow the ingredients and instructions but whatever i bake never comes out like hers. i know she is the pro. even her non-dessert receipes dont seem to come out right. i do cut back on the amount of salt she uses in her non-dessert receipes. i love salt but even for me its too much.
so are the brownies a keeper?

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Charmed Posted 10 Feb 2012 , 6:38pm
post #6 of 9

I still don't know what that smell was...but no skunk around!! I will try the recipe with my usual brand of butter not that sams butter and will see if they come out a keeper or not. I wasted a lot ingredients with this recipe. icon_sad.gif

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DeniseNH Posted 10 Feb 2012 , 8:02pm
post #7 of 9

I'm quite sure your problem was the coffee. I've used instant coffee crystals in chocolate cakes before and have smelled a skunky odor when I mix the crystals to a little hot water before adding it to the batter. If it results in skunky tasting brownies then change your espresso crystals to another brand. I feel that the skunky odor won't transfer to the batter but because it's in such a concentrated amount when it was in crystal form, that's when the smell would be the most powerful.

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Charmed Posted 11 Feb 2012 , 5:21am
post #8 of 9
Quote:
Originally Posted by DeniseNH

I'm quite sure your problem was the coffee. I've used instant coffee crystals in chocolate cakes before and have smelled a skunky odor when I mix the crystals to a little hot water before adding it to the batter. If it results in skunky tasting brownies then change your espresso crystals to another brand. I feel that the skunky odor won't transfer to the batter but because it's in such a concentrated amount when it was in crystal form, that's when the smell would be the most powerful.



I think you are right...I used the small espresso crystals..

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scp1127 Posted 12 Feb 2012 , 12:32am
post #9 of 9

I've made that recipe. Ina is a great baker and these brownies should have been just great tasting. She does love dark chocolate and her desserts are not overly sweet. That's why I love her recipes. She is also a strong believer in a few quality ingredients, letting them shine in the finished product. Because of the simplicity, it is important to purchase the best that is available. Her savory recipes are the same way.

The espresso used by many top chefs is Medaglia d'Oro. They are tiny balls.

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