Brownies

Not for when you're dieting. (The Bus 5.20)

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THURSDAY ARCHIVE EDITION - FIRST PUBLISHED (1.13) 19 MAY 2022

The Stop

The brownie is one of the world’s most popular, adaptable - and ubiquitous - desserts.¹ Served warm or cold, alone or with any number of embellishments, it’s easily recognisable. Characterised by a gooey, rich chocolate middle and a cracked, crust-like top, the brownie sits in an unusual place in the culinary repertoire as it’s neither cake nor biscuit. 

My brownies. Photo by Fin Padrick.

The brownie was born in the United States, sometime in the late 19th Century. Its exact origin is vague due to a controversy over its creation. One claim is that the dessert was invented by a (now unknown) chef at Chicago’s Palmer House Kitchen in the late 19th Century. According to this account, the owner - Bertha Palmer - directed her chef to create the brownie in order to be served at the 1893 Columbian Exposition World’s Fair.²

Adding to the controversy, the word first appeared in the 1897 Sears Roebuck Catalog in a recipe for ‘brownies.’ Though the word was used, it was in fact a molasses-based candy and nothing like a modern-day brownie. However, the first properly cake-like brownie can be traced to the 1906 edition of Fannie Merritt Farmer’s The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book. This was a richer, less floury concoction than the earlier versions and most cooking sites credit her with the dessert’s invention.

As a home baker, for years I’ve used the Fudge Brownies recipe from the Moosewood Cookbook (today’s book recommendation, by the way). Though I like this recipe - and have made it many, many times - I’ve never thought it was chocolatey enough. So, in the spirit of brownie invention, I began to experiment and - after several attempts - have arrived at what I consider to be the best recipe yet.³

Ingredients:

• A bit of butter for the pan

• 230g butter

• 400g Lindt 70% Intense cooking chocolate⁴

• 340g light brown sugar

• 5 eggs

• 3 tsp vanilla

• 75g plain (all purpose) flour

Instructions: 

• Measure out the ingredients ahead of time. This makes everything easier.

• At least an hour before you plan to start baking, put the butter in a bowl and allow it to soften by reaching room temperature.

• About 10 minutes before you intend to start baking, melt the chocolate in a microwaveable bowl. I do this by blasting it on HIGH for one minute before taking it out and stirring it with a wooden spoon. At this point the chocolate should just be starting to melt. I then blast it again on HIGH for 30 seconds, stir it, blast it again for 30 seconds, stir it, etc. You should be able to melt it in about 2 minutes - just don’t overdo it or the chocolate will burn. Once it’s melted, set the bowl aside.

• Grease a 23x33cm (9x13in) pan with butter. Don’t skimp - the more butter, the better.

• Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). 

• Cream the softened butter and the sugar. I do this in a mixer, starting off on low to get it going before gradually moving to the highest speed. Halfway through the process - and possibly more than once - you’ll need to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Time is not an issue - just make sure it’s well mixed.

• Once the butter and sugar are creamed, add the eggs. I crack all five into a bowl and pour them one at a time into the mixer while it runs on a medium speed. Again, you’ll need to scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure it’s all mixed.

• Pour in the melted chocolate while the mixer is running.

• Add the vanilla and mix well.

• Add the flour and mix well. 

• Once it’s all combined (the batter will be very thick - almost like a ganache), drop it into the buttered baking pan and spread it evenly with a spatula. 

• Place the pan into the oven and bake for around 20 - 25 minutes until a skewer or sharp knife put into the brownie comes out mostly clean. There should be a little batter stuck to the skewer or knife - if it’s completely clean, it’s too dry.

• Place the pan onto a cooling rack and allow it to sit for about 30 minutes. 

• Cut the brownies into squares and serve. Warm, cold … it’s all good.

The Detour

Today’s Detour is to an article in the Saturday Evening Post referencing a 1922 Post article in which an ex-bootlegger gives advice on how to break into the business. A fun read - and some great photos! 

So You Want to be a Bootlegger

The Book 

Today’s book recommendation is Mollie Katzen’s The New Moosewood Cookbook. First published in 1974, this is a slightly updated a collection of vegetarian recipes from the eponymous restaurant in Ithaca, New York. I’ve cooked many of them - though by no means all - and have been pleased with every effort. It’s a great resource and - as in the case of today’s brownies - a source of inspiration. Just be prepared to do a lot of chopping ….

Here’s an article from Bon Appétit celebrating the legacy of the cookbook: 

Moosewood Cookbook

The Sounds

Today’s playlist has no theme - it’s just a few songs I’ve enjoyed baking to over the last few days:⁵ ‘No New Tale to Tell’ (Love and Rockets, 1987), ‘Blinded by the Lights’ (The Streets, 2004), ‘Your Love Alone is Not Enough’ (Manic Street Preachers, 2007), ‘Camarillo Brillo’ (Frank Zappa, 1973) and ‘Eye’ (Smashing Pumpkins, 1997). Enjoy!

The Thought

Today’s Thought is from Katharine Hepburn.⁶ In a series of conversations with a young family friend who was considering dropping out of university, the famous actress offered three bits of important advice:

‘(1) Never quit. (2) Be yourself. (3) Don’t put too much flour in your brownies.’

If you have a thought on this Thought - or any part of today’s issue - please leave a comment below:

And that’s the end of this stop - I hope you enjoyed a brief diversion from your regular journey!

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Until the next stop …

1. A different sort of stop today - and apologies to anyone who saw the title and thought it was about either Girl Scouts/Girl Guides or the Celtic household spirits of the same name. Fun Fact: ‘Brownies’ (the Girl Scouts/Girl Guides ones) are so named because of a very moral and earnest 1870 short story by Julia Horatia Ewing. In the story, two children - Tommy and Betty - learn how it’s so much better to be helpful brownies rather than lazy boggarts. No, I wouldn’t read it either. But if you’re so inclined: The Brownies

2. Whether or not this is true is debatable - and really doesn’t matter - but the recipe for the ‘original’ brownie can be found here: Palmer House Brownie

3. To avoid confusion, it’s best if baking measurements are metric. I use a simple (and inexpensive) digital scale. If you’re serious about baking, invest in one. You’ll never look back.

4. The quality and strength of your chocolate is of paramount importance. I find the 70% to be perfect - a weaker chocolate just doesn’t do it for me and stronger is too bitter. Don’t even think about milk chocolate. Ugh.

5. This is my favourite Love and Rockets tune, the best thing The Streets ever did and the Zappa is, by definition, brilliant. Let me know what you think!

6. You can read about Katherine Hepburn and her brownies here: Katherine Hepburn (NYT)