Brownies rank among the top three most popular homemade desserts in the USA, rivaled in popularity only by traditional chocolate cake or apple pie. A true brownie has a signature brown color and a rectangular shape, and depending on the recipe, it can turn out more like a cake, a cupcake, or a cookie.
Brownies are believed to have originated in Chicago at the Palmer House hotel over 130 years ago. Socialite Bertha Palmer asked the hotel’s pastry chefs to create a dessert that would wow visitors to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. The requirements were specific: the dessert had to be compact, resemble a chocolate cake, and fit neatly into a boxed lunch.
To this day, the Palmer House Hotel still bakes brownies using the original recipe — a moist center topped with an apricot glaze. AdmiGram.com dug into the history of this beloved dessert and rounded up three of the most authentic ways to make it at home.
Brownies: Classic Recipes for an Iconic American Dessert
Classic Brownie
© zpzlata via Instagram
A crackly top, a soft and chewy center, and a handful of walnuts — that’s what defines a classic brownie. The key is not to overbake it, or it will dry out. Check for doneness with a wooden toothpick: brownies are ready to come out of the oven when moist crumbs (not wet batter) cling to it.
Ingredients:
- Sugar — 1 ½ cups
- Butter — ¾ cup (170 g)
- Dark chocolate — 5 oz (140 g)
- All-purpose flour — 2 cups
- Eggs — 4
- Walnuts, chopped — 1 cup
Directions:
Grate the chocolate into a bowl, add the butter, and melt together over a double boiler or in the microwave until smooth. Gently fold in the flour, one tablespoon at a time. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar, then stir the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture until combined. Fold in the chopped walnuts.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (a light coat of vegetable oil underneath helps it stay in place), then spread the batter evenly. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25–35 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into squares.
Brownie Cookies
© Tamanna Rumee / Unsplash
These bake a bit longer than a classic brownie but should still be soft and slightly moist inside. Any nuts work here, but toasted hazelnuts give the best flavor. Serve with ice cream or a cold glass of milk.
Ingredients:
- Chocolate — 10 oz (300 g)
- Butter — ¾ cup (170 g)
- Sugar — 1 ½ cups
- Eggs — 4
- All-purpose flour — 2 cups
- Cocoa powder — ¼ cup
- Hazelnuts, toasted and chopped — 1 cup
- Powdered sugar (for dusting) — ⅓ cup (10 g vanilla sugar, or to taste)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the chocolate and butter together over a double boiler, stirring occasionally, then let cool slightly. Beat in the sugar and eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Fold in the flour and cocoa powder, then stir in the chopped hazelnuts. Scoop the dough into small mounds on the prepared sheet, spacing them apart. Bake for 12–15 minutes, watching closely — they should still look slightly underdone in the center. Let cool, then dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Note: baking time will vary by oven and cookie size — start checking at the 10-minute mark.
Brownie Cupcakes
© Sheelah Brennan / Unsplash
Baked in a muffin tin, these come together fast and turn out extra moist and soft — more tender than a cookie or a classic brownie square.
Ingredients:
- Butter, softened — 2 oz (60 g)
- Chocolate — 2 oz (60 g)
- Sugar — 1 ½ cups
- Eggs — 2
- Vanilla sugar — 1 tsp
- Cognac — 1 tbsp
- All-purpose flour — 1 cup
- Cocoa powder — ½ cup
- Baking powder — ¼ tsp
- Salt — ¼ tsp
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, vanilla sugar, and cognac, mixing until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until combined, then fold in the chocolate chunks.
Grease a muffin tin lightly with vegetable oil and divide the batter among the cups. Bake for 15 minutes — the cupcakes should stay soft, so don’t overbake.
Pro tip: For a denser, fudgier texture, let the brownies cool completely, then store them in an airtight container overnight before slicing.
image on top: zpzlata via Instagram
