All-American Brownies Take a Bow
by Nancy Baggett
Chocolate brownies are so much a part of the American dessert
scene, it seems like they have been around forever. Actually,
however, they didn’t turn up till the twentieth century.
It’s likely that the world’s first brownies were being
baked in New England around the turn of the century, because the
earliest known recipes were published there several years later.
One recipe appeared in the 1906 edition of The Boston Cooking-School
Cook Book and two more appeared in the 1907 Lowney's
Cook Book, a product 
promotion
book published by Boston chocolate manufacturer, Walter M. Lowney.
All three recipes were simple and quite similar, calling for only
unsweetened chocolate, and lacking vanilla or other flavorings.
Neither book mentioned who contributed or created the brownie
recipes, so we don’t know whom to thank for inventing this
wonderful American treat.
What we do know is that a famous and influential cooking teacher,
Fannie Merritt Farmer, wrote The Boston Cooking-School Cook
Book and that it was a strong seller for many decades. (Reprints
of several editions are still around today.) As a result, the
brownie recipe was widely circulated quickly; very similar versions
began popping up in cookbooks all over the country in the next
ten years. We also know that in the early twentieth century Walter
Lowney’s firm was a major competitor of another local chocolate
company, Baker's. He lacked Mr. Baker’s or Mrs. Farmer’s
staying power, though; his company went out of business in the
1930s.
One quirky fact about brownies is that the name came along before
the modern brownie did. Several cookbooks include recipes called
“brownies,” but they aren’t what we think of
as brownies today. One example I found was a plain brown sugar
drop cookie in a 1902 Ohio community cookbook. A completely different
kind of non-chocolate “brownie” (see the sidebar)
appeared in very first (1896) edition of The Boston Cooking-School
Cook Book.
Fudge Brownies with Easy Chocolate Glaze
These brownies are very fudgy and moist. The chocolate glaze is
a yummy addition, though if you’re in a hurry or happen
to like less chocolate (how could that be!), the brownies are
good without it, too. Presented along with a scoop of vanilla
ice cream (and perhaps drizzled with a little chocolate sauce
or syrup) they make a great home-style dessert.
3 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened good quality American-style cocoa
powder
3/4 cup all-purpose white flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon water
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Easy Glaze
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square baking dish
with foil, allowing foil to overhang on two sides. Sift cocoa,
flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Stir well with
a large wooden spoon.
In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter and chocolate on
100 percent power for 30 seconds. Stop and stir. Continue microwaving
on 50 percent power, stopping and stirring at 30 second intervals,
just until the butter completely melts. Continue stirring until
chocolate completely melts. Set aside until cooled to warm. Vigorously
stir sugar and water, then eggs and vanilla into the butter-chocolate
mixture until very well blended. Stir in flour mixture until evenly
incorporated.
Turn out batter into pan, spreading evenly to edges. Bake in
middle third of oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until center top
just springs back and a toothpick inserted in center comes out
clean, except for the bottom 1/4 inch, which should still look
slightly wet. Set aside on a wire rack to cool; prepare glaze.
Glaze: Put cream and sugar in a microwave-safe 2-cup measure.
Microwave on 100 percent power for 30 seconds or until steaming
hot. Stop and stir. Add chocolate, without stirring; microwave
on 50 percent power for 30 seconds longer. Remove from microwave
and let stand 1 minute. Add vanilla and gently stir a minute or
two until the chocolate completely melts and the glaze is very
smooth and glossy.
Pour glaze over brownie layer. Spread out evenly with a long-bladed
spatula or knife. Let set up until completely cooled, at least
45 minutes, uncovered, in refrigerator before cutting. Remove
brownie slab using foil as handles. Carefully peel off foil. Working
on a cutting board, cut slab crosswise into quarters and lengthwise
into thirds (or as desired) using a large, sharp knife dipped
in hot water, then wiped dry between each cut. Store, covered,
for up to 3 days. Or freeze for up to a month; let thaw in the
refrigerator before serving.
Makes 12 brownies.
