Versions of the dessert later appeared in the Sears Roebuck catalog

March 2, 2024 5:50 AM

"Storytellers say that for the World’s Fair, Bertha asked The Palmer House pastry chef to create a small cake or confection that could be included in boxed lunches for ladies visiting the fair. The pastry chef developed a thick, dense, fudgy chocolate bar, covered in walnuts and a sweet apricot glaze. It was unlike any other confection and became incredibly popular." Should they be cake-like or fudge-like? Do we actually know their history? Any way you cut it Wikipedia has a lot of information about the brownie.

Brownies have appeared many times on the blue, but finding an ideal "previously" is difficult, given the humble dessert's frequent mention. Previously via Google

posted by cupcakeninja (32 comments total)

They should be like a very dense cake with a slight chew. They should NOT contain chunks or chips of chocolate (candy), and they should not be frosted. They may or may not contain walnuts.

Nothing else needs to be said.
posted by SoberHighland at 6:24 AM on March 2 [4 favorites]

SoberHighland, wait until you read:

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

I’ve never thought of myself as conservative or a strict originalist (+pro-nuts), until…
posted by rubatan at 7:15 AM on March 2 [2 favorites]

If you haven't had the pleasure of a raspberry jam brownie I highly recommend going to the effort. Raspberry jam, specifically, and dark chocolate, are a pairing that are not to be missed.

If you're a fan of the crispy edges, there's a pan for that.

If red velvet and cheesecake are your thing, I have good news. (Disclaimer: this is the free link to a site I work for. I've tried these brownies and they are very, very good. You can find the actual link here if you want to subscribe.)

There are many ways to make brownies and none of them are wrong. After all, if that Palmer House pastry chef hadn't experimented with cake to begin with, we wouldn't have had our favorite brownies to enjoy!
posted by heyitsgogi at 7:30 AM on March 2 [4 favorites]

There is no wrong way to make a square, and I will brook no opposition to the notion that brownies are just another kind of square.
posted by seanmpuckett at 7:37 AM on March 2 [2 favorites]

So the classic brownie has an apricot jam glaze. This is worth considering.

There's the espresso brownie. Use espresso instead of water, and add coffee beans, maybe three of four per brownie.
posted by Nancy Lebovitz at 7:38 AM on March 2 [2 favorites]

Spent a few years traveling to Chicago every November, a great city (excepting Bears fans, ugh). After reading “Devil in the White City” I was more aware of the architecture and history. On one occasion, we stayed at the Palmer House and ordered the famed namesake dessert from room service, thinking it would be something spectacular. Unfortunately, it was a pathetic projection of its former self, something likely manufactured by an industrial cafeteria, dense and gummy with an uneven sprinkling of pastel confetti sprinkles. Neither my spouse nor small child(!) wanted to finish theirs. When we returned to NOLA we found a recipe and recreated it as it might have been, with apricot glaze, attempting to erase the memory of that poor facsimilie.

Asides: there are likely lovely Bears fans out there. I have yet to meet them. Also, I just noticed that the new keyboard for my tablet uses a zero (narrow width) instead of an ‘Oh’ for the O… I may have to return this thing.

Here is the recipe that we used: Palmer House Brownie
posted by garisimo at 7:45 AM on March 2 [4 favorites]

I’ve never understood the cakey vs fudgey dynamic. Brownies should be CHEWY. Cake is too light and fudge is too dense and sugary. Not sure what it is exactly, but I’ve never found a brownie recipe that nails that texture better than a mix.
posted by rikschell at 7:57 AM on March 2 [12 favorites]

This recipe from orange swan* is really good, so I've been using it with the following adjustments/variations:
heat the butter and cocoa powder in microwave measuring cup, don't need stove.
mix eggs, sugar, and vanilla in small bowl; add 1 tsp finely ground espresso or coffee powder, 1/4 tsp chili flakes. I find that adding these to the eggs helps incorporate better throughout than mixing them in on their own with the dry ingredients. Mix the flour and salt together in a larger bowl then add the butter mixture and then the egg mixture. Bake as per recipe.

I'm not a walnuts fan so, no. I do like almonds and pecans, especially with coconut; if I was using them I'd add to the batter instead of on top.
Use up the last of the Xmas chocolate mints or sea salt chocolate caramels or mini chocolate candies (heath bars but I never have any leftover) by chopping into 1/4" chunks and sprinkling across the top of the batter before baking. Or toasted coconut on top and or 1/4" chunks of dried apricot, cranberry, or sour cherries are very good.
Or, mixing 1/2 cup cream cheese, a tablespoon of powdered sugar, half teaspoon of ground cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg, and swirling this on top of your brownie batter.

*I also like this recipe for its historical resonance this year*
orange swans' moms brownie recipe
posted by winesong at 8:06 AM on March 2 [3 favorites]

They should be like a very dense cake with a slight chew. They should NOT contain chunks or chips of chocolate (candy), and they should not be frosted. They may or may not contain walnuts.

Nothing else needs to be said.

I eagerly await the pronouncement of the only allowable form of pizza.
posted by Thorzdad at 8:06 AM on March 2 [4 favorites]

Thorzdad: Now I wonder how pineapple in brownies would be. I bet they'd be good in or on a blondie, and I do have pineapple jam in the fridge and blondie mix in the cupboard. Hmm...
posted by May Kasahara at 8:14 AM on March 2 [1 favorite]

Ghiradellli brownie mix cooked in a belgian waffle iron served with ice cream is delicious but an awful mess to clean. At least the way I attempted it.
posted by cmfletcher at 8:27 AM on March 2 [3 favorites]

brownies are just another kind of square
Deep food metaphysics lately on MeFi
posted by rubatan at 8:40 AM on March 2 [1 favorite]

Agreed on the chewiness being the preferred texture!

....But not as chewy as a butter mochi, which features glutinous rice flour. The local musubi place always asks me if I want a middle, edge or corner piece when I buy butter mochi from them. ❤️
posted by spamandkimchi at 9:22 AM on March 2

The best brownie is the one in front of me.

That said…

This recipe comes together fast and is an unfailing crowd-pleaser. Fudgy and super-rich. Minimum cleanup too.

In a pan, melt 1 stick of butter. Add 2 squares of good unsweetened baking chocolate, stir to melt and remove from heat. Add 1 cup of sugar, 2 eggs and at least 1 teaspoon vanilla and mix well. Stir in 1/4 cup of flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add 1 cup of nuts if desired. Pour into a buttered 8” square pan and bake 40 min at 325 F.

Great to quickly stick in the oven as unexpected company arrives.
posted by kinnakeet at 9:38 AM on March 2 [5 favorites]

I have a recipe for Mexican chocolate brownies (so cinnamon & cayenne) with dried cherries. Very satisfying.
posted by suelac at 9:41 AM on March 2 [1 favorite]

just here to say thank you to all involved in this project. and now I want a brownie...
posted by supermedusa at 9:53 AM on March 2 [1 favorite]

I enjoy a middle ground between fudgy and cake like...and loaded with walnuts. Like one third nuts to dough ratio.
posted by Czjewel at 9:59 AM on March 2

Cupcakeninja, is there some nominative determinism occurring here with your cake-like inclusivity?
posted by rubatan at 10:14 AM on March 2 [1 favorite]

I just so happen to be holding a box of the Trader Joe’s mix.
posted by zenon at 10:20 AM on March 2

May Kasahara: pineapple upside down blondies? With a bit of caramelization on the pineapple seems like it might be just the thing.

(A sticky glaze on a box lunch dessert confused me but I bet they had forks. A more elegant weapon…)
posted by clew at 10:33 AM on March 2 [1 favorite]

rubatan, that’s funny, and I hadn’t thought about it! 😂 We’ll have to see if I can resist the pull of more (tasty, tasty) cake posts. I was going to post an interview with an artist who specializes in repainting 1970s YA cover art featuring tarot spreads, but that may have to wait.
posted by cupcakeninja at 10:45 AM on March 2

(I joke, but surely there’s one somewhere.)
posted by cupcakeninja at 10:49 AM on March 2

welp. I had to go to the store. got some brownie mix. just turned the oven on.
posted by supermedusa at 2:23 PM on March 2 [3 favorites]

Ah yes, brownies. I think only broth vs stock creates more pedantic and vicious fighting among people who cook.
posted by sotonohito at 2:26 PM on March 2 [3 favorites]

No mention of Alice B. Toklas?
posted by mike3k at 3:01 PM on March 2

Cupcakeninja, is there some nominative determinism occurring here with your cake-like inclusivity?

(So are we now doing 'nominative determinism' instead of 'eponysterical'?)
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 6:43 AM on March 3

If you don't like things in brownies or box mixes, this comment is not for you. But if you like a shortcut occasionally, I will share with you my secret weapon that I discovered last summer, when I had a regular community event that I had to bring a small amount of some type of refreshment for *every week* and I am no natural cook or baker.

Dolly's brownies. I bought the box not because I had any need for them, but because the cartoon Dolly was irresistible to me. Also, I was slightly gladdened that anything I could easily buy at Walmart and Food Lion (why yes, I live in the South, why do you ask) has sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup in the ingredients list.

When I was making them the first time, I did a tiny taste of the batter and it was a little lackluster and I thought well, I bet the internet would say to use some espresso, or sea salt, but I didn't have much time. And I looked around my kitchen and saw packets of mini Oreos my kid eats sometimes. So, I put half the batter in the glass baking dish, placed an unscientific amount of mini Oreos on there, and then put the rest of the batter on top. The brownies turned out really well, especially since I underbaked them (you kind of have to play with that a bit. If you follow the box directions they turn out a little dry, if you underbake too much they can get sticky.)

The hidden little cookies just added a certain something - even people who make actual complicated baked goods really enjoyed them and have requested them many times.
posted by 41swans at 7:11 AM on March 3 [2 favorites]

I’m currently in Oaxaca, Mexico where the chocolate situation is outlandishly amazing. I took a cooking class and the instructor made these mole styled brownies that are well…fucking bonkers good, pardon my language.

To do this on your own will require mole dulce, a mixture of spices and chocolate that in theory you could make yourself, but it’s really time consuming and you can get the authentic stuff here.

This version uses 1/2 cup flour and this is the variable you can play around with easily, add a bit more for more cake-y texture if that’s your thing.

Oaxacan Chocolate Mole Dulce Brownies

Ingredients:

- 4 eggs (room temperature)
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 sticks softened butter (8 ounces)
- 1 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons Mole Dulce powder
- Additional Mole Dulce powder for topping (about 5 tablespoons, or to taste)

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (150 degrees Celsius).
2. Line a 9” x 13” baking pan, or two 8” x 8” pans, with parchment paper.
3. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the eggs until they are just fluffy.
4. Gradually add the sugar to the eggs and continue to beat until fully incorporated.
5. Add the softened butter, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, flour, salt, and 3 tablespoons of Mole Dulce powder to the mixture.
6. Beat all ingredients together until the batter is smooth and well combined.
7. Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan(s) and spread evenly to level out the surface.
8. Take additional Mole Dulce powder (about 5 tablespoons or to your taste) and use a sifter or strainer to coat the top evenly.
9. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, and use the toothpick method to determine when it’s done.
10. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Provecho!
posted by jeremias at 8:23 AM on March 3 [2 favorites]

On the other end of things I took that box of TJs mix, put in two eggs and the stick of butter. It took a whole half hour to cook and then set and then I shared.


I also ate 2 giant pieces. This morning I finished it off and then sat outside where it is beautiful out.

Just lovely stuff.
posted by zenon at 2:08 PM on March 3 [3 favorites]

My family really likes the Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate brownie mix. We made a batch tonight & I'm debating going back for a second piece after reading this post.
posted by belladonna at 5:33 PM on March 3 [2 favorites]

(A sticky glaze on a box lunch dessert confused me but I bet they had forks. A more elegant weapon…)

If they were walnut-topped the glaze may have been there to stick the nut fragments more securely. In that case the sticky glaze would not have been exposed.
posted by Karmakaze at 6:05 AM on March 4 [1 favorite]

I ate about six brownies over the weekend and then put the rest in the freezer. that Mexican Brownie recipe sounds amazing!!!
posted by supermedusa at 11:31 AM on March 4 [2 favorites]