Chocolate Brownies
The Chocolate Connoisseur February 28th, 2007
During the Columbian Exposition in 1892, the chef of the Palmer House Hotel in Chicago invented the brownie. Bertha Palmer wanted a dessert that women could eat without getting their hands dirty when put into box lunches. Sears and Roebuck published the first chocolate brownie recipe in their 1898 catalogue.
Just the mention of chocolate or a chocolate brownie has most people’s faces light up and their mouths water. Often referred to as ‘America’s favorite dessert’, chocolate brownies, named after their rich brown color, are popular not only across America but are known and eaten around the world. Many like their chocolate brownies covered with fudge icing, or with chips such as chocolate, peanut butter or butterscotch, while others prefer nuts or a combination of both. People also love fresh, hot chocolate brownies served with toppings such as vanilla ice cream, fresh whipped cream or hot fudge. In most fine dining establishments, country diners or other restaurants, brownies are often the most popular dessert item.
For people that love to cook, there are thousands of recipes for chocolate brownies, which are available in cookbooks, magazines and on the internet. You can even experiment to create a chocolate brownie recipe all your own or try different ingredients in a recipe you already have. Here is a brownie recipe with nuts that is not only delicious but also easy to make.
Ingredients
· One cup flour
· One cup sugar
· One cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans etc.)
· One teaspoon vanilla
· One teaspoon baking powder
· One quarter cup of cocoa
· One stick or four ounces of butter or margarine
· Three eggs
On low heat, melt cocoa and butter in a small saucepan and then remove this from the heat. In a bowl, beat the eggs until foamy and then slowly add in sugar and the melted cocoa and butter mixture. Sift together the baking powder and flour, and add half of this into the cake batter. Mix the nuts into the remaining flour mixture and then add this to your cake batter, being sure to blend it together well. Stir in the vanilla and then spread the batter evenly into an 8 x 8 inch greased and floured baking pan. Place this into a preheated 350-degree oven for twenty to twenty-five minutes.
You can make a quick and easy chocolate icing by sifting two cups of powdered sugar and four tablespoons of cocoa together. Add one teaspoon of vanilla and stir in enough half-and-half or heavy cream, until you get the desired spreading consistency. Make sure the brownies are cool and then apply the icing.
Taking a delicious plate of chocolate brownies to any gathering is sure to be a big hit. Be sure to make lots, as it is almost impossible for most people to eat only one chocolate brownie.
