Where Do Brownies Come From
In my series of brownie questions, one of the top questions was, “Where Do Brownies Come From?”.
When I first saw this question, it felt like I’d have to have “the talk” about the birds and the bees. But I get what people are asking- what’s the origin story? At least, that’s what I think they mean.
The origin of brownies is a bit of a mystery, but here’s what we know: Brownies are an American invention that likely appeared in the late 19th century. The first published brownie recipe showed up in 1906 in The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book by Fannie Farmer (but this early version was more like a dense, chocolate cake).
There are a few popular stories:
It was a nice baking accident, where some say a baker forgot to add baking powder to a chocolate cake, resulting in a fudgy, flat result.
A request for a portable dessert, where legend has it that a socialite asked a chef for a dessert that was easy to eat and wouldn’t require utensils.
Chicago’s Palmer House Hotel: in 1893, Bertha Palmer (of the famous hotel) reportedly requested a small, rich dessert for ladies attending the World’s Columbian Exposition. The hotel still serves their original “brownie” today, served with walnuts and an apricot glaze.
Whatever their origin story, brownies have evolved into an iconic dessert.