Chocolate brownie: Encyclopedia - Chocolate brownie

Chocolate brownie

In American cooking, a chocolate brownie, also known as a brownie or a Boston brownie, is a small, rich, chocolate cake, similar to a cookie, named after its rich brown color. It is sometimes covered with fudge and may contain nuts, chips (chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter, etc.), or cannabis. The first known mention of a brownie is believed to be in the 1897 Sears and Roebuck catalog.

Brownies are believed to have been discovered by accident, by a careless cook intending to make a chocolate cake, but forgetting to use a raising agent such as baking powder. There are many different recipes for brownies, and simple versions often serve as an introduction to baking.

Brownies are often served hot with ice cream (it is than commonly referred to as a brownie à la mode) and sometimes whipped cream, especially as desserts in restaurants. The popularity of the all-American brownie has grown, and they can now be found in many bakeries in Europe. Brownies are also sold in some restaurants in Japan as a novelty, usually in themed restaurants. An example is "Brownies Club," located in a department store attached to the JR Kyoto Station, which features a humorous "Brownies Manifesto" etched on its windows.

Blondies are brownies made without cocoa, and with brown sugar; they may contain white chocolate, chips, or nuts.

See also

• Alice B. Toklas brownie (perhaps better known as the "Alice B. Tokin' brownie" or "bud brownie")

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Chocolate brownie", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki