About Brownies: America’s Favorite Chocolate Bar Cookie (2024)

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Brownies are a baked dessert bar, made with chocolate, whichare a cross between a piece of cake and a cookie.

Developed in the United Statesduring the late 19th century, the bar cookies were popularizedduring the first half of the 20th century. Today, they are a favorite in lunchboxes, on restaurant menus, at pot lucks, picnics, bake sales, and as snacks.

Variations abound, from the basic recipe to anarray of flavorings (such as peanut butter, mint, coffee, raspberry, whitechocolate or caramel), add-ins (like nuts, fruits, chocolate, or marshmallow)and layers (including glazes and frostings.) More recently the bars have takenon an identity as a health food in vegan, low-carb, low sugar, gluten-free, orhigh-protein versions.

But to the basics first.

Is it a cake or is it a cookie?

By definition, a brownie is a cookie – more specifically, abar cookie. A piece of cake is eaten with a fork. A cookie is finger food. Browniesare made in a pan, cut into individual portions, and are most often eaten withhands, not forks, placing them squarely in the cookie camp.

Cake-like or fudge-like?

Two words are most often connected with the bars are“cake-like” and “fudge-like.” The difference is associated with texture. Acake-like version has a lighter texture – similar to a cake. A fudge-like version has a denser texture, similar to fudge.

A standard ratio of 1 cup of sugar to ½ cup flour gives the cookies a moist texture. The ratiovaries from recipe to recipe – a higher level of flour in the ratio yields acake-like texture, while more sugar (and fat and chocolate) produces a fudgiertexture.

Which is a true brownie – the cake-like version or thefudge-like version? It’s a matter of personal preference. You decide.

Who invented it?

The Cookie Jury is out as to who created the chocolate treatfirst – and where.

On a menu

1893, Palmer HouseHotel chef, Chicago. A chef at Chicago'sfamed Palmer House Hotel is credited with creating a baked chocolate bar dessertat the request of hotel owner’s wife. Bertha Palmer wanted a special treat appropriatefor box lunches for ladies attending the 1893 Columbian Exposition (World’s Fair)in Chicago. ThePalmer House Brownies were laced with walnuts and topped with an apricot glaze.The chef’s name has since been forgotten, but his concoction marks the treat's firstrecorded public appearance.

In a catalogue

1897, Sears RoebuckCatalogue. A dozen, listed under “Fancy Crackers & Biscuits,” soldfor $1.50.

In a cookbook

1906, Fanny Farmer, Boston. The 1906edition of The Boston Cooking-School CookBook, edited by New England cookingteacher Fannie Merritt Farmer, included the recipe for a chocolate “Brownie.” Therecipe proportions were similar to Fannie’s 1896 chocolate cookie recipe,except that the new version used less flour and just two ounces of bakingchocolate. Fannie baked her confection in a 7-inch pan and cut the bars intosquares. (An 1896 edition of Fannie’s cookbook contained a recipe named“brownies,” but this confection was flavored with molasses, not chocolate -- so it doesn't strictly "count.")

1907, Maria WilletHoward, Boston (by way of Bangor, Maine).Maria, in Lowney’s Cook Book, called the treat Bangor Brownies, creditinga woman in Bangor, Maine with the concoction. The Bangor recipe was similarto Fannie Farmer’s, yet with an extra egg and an additional ounce of chocolate,creating a richer, fudgier texture.

Other published recipes for the bars appeared in the Home Cookery (1904,Laconia, NH), Service Club Cook Book (1904, Chicago, IL),and The Boston Globe (April 2, 1905).

So who gets the credit?

Rise in popularity

Regardless of who first invented the confection, it grew inpopularity as chocolate became more readily available to the consumer. Inaddition, the term became recognizable elsewhere, possibly lendingitself to the bar cookie’s notoriety. Palmer Cox (1840-1924), a Canadian authorand illustrator, penned a series of popular comic strips and books titled The Brownies, documenting the escapadesof mischievous elf-like sprites. The Brownie, a simple consumer camera which madephotography available to the general public, was introduced by Eastman KodakCompany in 1900.

What's a "blondie"?

Sometimes called “blonde brownies” or “butterscotchbrownies,” blondies are a variation flavored with brown sugar, rather than chocolate.

Blondierecipes typically do not call for any kind of chocolate in the dough.

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