The History Of Brownies

The original brownie was a chocolaty concoction, chock ‘full o nuts’ and with a delicious apricot glaze. Created for an exposition in 1893 in Chicago per mentalfloss.com the Palmer House Hotel still sells it’s famous dessert. There are conflicting stories about the true origin of the brownie. Where many sources tell the above story, some write of a homemade brownie from scratch that was more of a blondie. Baked by Fanny Farmer in 1896 as an adaptation of a cookie recipe, this is the first written recipe of a brownie in a cookbook. Then there was the chocolate brownie that showed up in “Machias Cookbook” in 1899 and the much talked about “Bangor Brownies” recipe that was published in 1904. Whichever one of the people above actually developed the recipe, they’ve definitely made millions of people across the world happy!

The Story Of My Homemade Brownies

I’ll be the first one to admit that I often resort to using a boxed brownie mix when the craving hits! You get perfect results with minimal efforts and you can’t beat that! Once in a while though you want a brownie that delivers more than the packaged variety can. This recipe was actually born because there’s a clear divide in my family when it comes to what type of brownies we like. I like mine fudgy and with nuts but my daughters like theirs cakey with no nuts. Their favorite cakey brownies are the ones they eat at their aunt’s house on their summer visits to Pakistan. There’s always a freshly baked batch waiting for us on our arrival. Since our trip this past summer got cancelled (Thank You Covid) and this coming summers trip doesn’t seem possible either we absolutely had to come up with a replica of “Chachi’s Brownies” as the girls call them. After much experimentation I’m happy to present both my favorite fudgy brownie recipe and “chachi’s brownie” as the cakey one shall be dubbed from here on.

The Recipe For Homemade Brownies From Scratch

The Ingredients

I always measure all of my ingredients and set them out so they reach room temperature before I begin the mixing process. This insures a smoother workflow as some of the steps are time sensitive.

Tips For The Best Brownies From Scratch

The Chocolate

This is the one recipe where I don’t compromise on the quality of chocolate I use. My go to is always Ghirardelli, but there are plenty of good options to pick from. A brownie is nothing if it’s not chocolatey enough! Most brownie recipes call for a combination of bittersweet melted chocolate and dutch process cocoa. This particular type of cocoa is less acidic and yields much better flavor so I highly recommend using it.

The Fudgy Batter

Of course the reverse is in effect when we want fudgier brownies; more fat, less flour and less leavening. However, the one key thing to that ideal chewy texture is some brown sugar. Brown sugar contains molasses and speeds gluten formation, resulting in a fudgier texture! However white sugar helps hold the brownies together and create that beautiful shiny cracked top so a combination of the two makes them perfect!

The Fat

Ideally a butter and oil combination is best for brownies. The butter brings all the flavor and structure and the oil is what gives the brownies the moisture they need.

The Bakeware

I used a dark nonstick baking pan for my recipe and all cooking timings in this recipe are based on this. If you choose a different type of bakeware, aluminum or pyrex, you may need to adjust the timings. A good rule of thumb is to check the brownies 5-10 minutes before the prescribed time to prevent overbaking.

The Cake Test

Checking your brownies for doneness with a toothpick or cake tester doesn’t always work. Due to their fudgy texture the testers will always come out coated with chocolate. Once the top is glossy and slight cracks appear on the surface you can assume the brownies are done.

The Parchment paper

Parchment paper helps the brownies cook more evenly and prevents the bottom from getting too brown. Add to that easy cleanup and using it is a no brainer for me!

The Mixing

Overmixing is a complete no for any baked goods. As I mentioned in my mardi gras orange pound cake it leads to gluten formation and a leady texture versus a fudgy density. For brownies it’s best to mix the ingredients with a spoon rather than using a mixer.

The Baking

I always bake on the center rack of my oven as this is the most even heat your baked goods will get. If you’re baking two batches, bake them on the center rack turn by turn.

The Cooling

Always cool for an hour as difficult as that may be! The flavor develops more during this time and you’ll be able to cut more even squares this way.

The Storage

As far as storage is concerned, keep the brownies in an airtight container. If you want to try a great hack add a slice of bread to the container to prevent your brownies from drying out. The shelf life of the brownies is 3 days on the counter and 5 days in the fridge.

Serving Options

Of course these brownies taste amazing on their own, but if you want to take this recipe to the next level here are some additional ideas!

Serve them warm with a scoop of ice cream. Break them into pieces and make a brownie sundae.Ice them with this chocolate ganache recipe!

This recipe for homemade brownies can take care of any cravings and can also be turned into a great Valentine’s Day Dessert! Hope you decide to try this recipe and please don’t forget to leave a comment and rate it when you do!

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