When I want a really decent chocolate fix I always turn to brownies. I don’t need to over-indulge as a single square will do the trick. And they freeze really well – for next time.
But is there an ingredient – apart from chocolate and cocoa and brown sugar – that makes a batch of brownies extra special?
Yes, according to thedailymeal.com.
The brownie dates back to 1893, according to thedailymeal, to an event to commemorate the anniversary of the Mayflower landing in the US and to celebrate Chicago’s renaissance after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Among the novelties introduced at the exposition were the Ferris wheel, moving walkways, Juicy Fruit gum, Pabst beer and the brownie.
This brownie was commissioned by magnate Bertha Palmer, who asked the chef of the Palmer House hotel to create a confection that could be placed into lunch boxes to be distributed at the Women’s Pavilion. What they produced was the first example of a sweet chocolate cake-like brownie and it became a hit.
The original specimen was adorned with walnuts and an apricot glaze. Subsequent iterations of the brownie made their way into cookbooks like the 1904 Service Club of Chicago cookbook, as well as Fannie Farmer’s 1906 classic. Each placed their own twist on the confection, highlighting the potential variations that could be made to the simple dessert. Whether you prefer a cakey or a fudgy brownie, there’s one ingredient that can make a brownie more chocolatey – and it’s not more chocolate.
It’s coffee. But you don’t like the flavour of coffee? Fear not, the combination of chocolate with coffee – instant will do – accentuates the flavour of the chocolate.
Do you have a special ingredient for your brownies? Or a favourite recipe?
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