Brownies

Description

Deliciously chewy, dense and fudgy with a rich chocolate flavor, the beloved brownies are one of the most popular American desserts. Some claim that Bertha Palmer, wife of the owner of Palmer House Hotel , asked the chef to invent a new chocolate dessert to serve at the 1893 Colombian Exposition. Others say that it was an accident, when Brownie Schrumpf, a librarian, excluded baking powder from a chocolate cake and was left with a thick, black cake bar. Regardless of the origins, what really popularized the brownies were instant, boxed mixes from the 1950s made by two brands - Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker . Of course, the best brownies are not the ones from a box. Some prefer them underbaked, moist, and fudgy on the interior, while some like them well-baked until they develop a spongy texture. The chocolate used for brownies must be of high quality, dark and bittersweet. Nowadays, there is a number of brownie varieties with added walnuts, pecans, chocolate chips, or even chili powder. Portable, easy to prepare and satisfying, brownies are said to taste the best when paired with a glass of cold milk.