On National Brownie Day, the Story of its Invention and an Appreciation For its Versatility

Brownies are every baker’s favorite, because they are easy to make and fun to share with loved ones. Here’s your sign to get started on a fresh batch of brownies.

Brownies are bite-sized delights that come in a variety of flavors—from the classic chocolate chip to blondies and red velvet brownies. There are almost as many brownie recipes as there are bakers in the world, and brownie recipes are sometimes closely guarded secrets, passed down from one generation to the next. Brownies are often one’s go to Sunday afternoon baking choice, easy to make and fun to eat. Whether placed on a sizzling plate with a dollop of vanilla ice cream on top as the sizzling brownie, or eaten by cutting a square into the fresh batch sitting on the baking tray, the important thing is that the brownies should have a certain gooeyness and chewiness on the inside, while being solid and firm on the outside.

There are several legends about the origin of these brilliant desserts, but the most widely accepted story is that brownies were invented by the chefs at Chicago’s Palmer House Hotel in 1893. Tasked with creating a dessert that was smaller than a cake and easier to eat than a slice of pie would—think about how messy that can get—they had to come up with something new for an event the hotel was hosting. These delights would go into the attendees’ lunch bags. The chefs created the brownies with three distinct flavor and textural note— chocolate, walnuts and apricot sauce.

Once the concept of the brownie was out in the world, there was no stopping its popularity from spreading. Brownie recipes soon started appearing in cookbooks, with each cook adding their own variations and flavors. Today, brownies are adapting to current trends of being healthier, and come in iterations that are high in protein, low in sugar and carbs, and often gluten-free or vegan. This is the beauty of brownies—there’s no single definition or one right way of making it. This means everyone can make it the way they want, meaning it's one of those desserts that probably won’t become irrelevant or die out any time soon. It's also one of the easier desserts to make, and almost a rite of passage for home bakers.

So, on National Brownie Day, you can celebrate by making a fresh batch of brownies. If you're one of those bakers who is still searching for the perfect recipe, here’s one below, for the classic chocolate chip brownies.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp table salt
• ¾ cup all purpose flour
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• ½ cup chocolate chips
• powdered sugar, for garnish

Directions:

• Preheat the oven and grease a baking pan.
• Melt the butter. There are two ways to do this. One option is to melt it on the stove, but make sure you do so on low heat so that you don't burn it. Or, you can put the blocks of butter in a glass bowl and pop it in the microwave for about 30 seconds. It might require more or less time depending on how hard the butter originally is.
• In a bowl, add the melted butter and cocoa powder. Mix well and set aside.
• In another bowl, add the eggs and beat them until they have a light color. Then add the sugar and vanilla extract and beat again, until the sugar is fully dissolved.
• Slowly add the cocoa powder and butter mixture to the bowl of eggs and sugar and beat that in too.
• Sift the flour into a bowl. Add the salt and baking powder and mix well.
• Slowly add the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, one spoonful at a time, folding it in. Repeat until all the dry ingredients are mixed in. Whisk it all together but don't over beat.
• Add the chocolate chips and gently fold them in.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean. Don't wait for the toothpick to be completely clean, since the brownies continue baking even after they’re out of the oven.
• Remove from the pan and dust with powdered sugar. Cut into squares and serve warm, each serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.