Best Brownies Recipes

A brownie is a flat, baked dessert square that was developed in the United States at the end of the 19th century and popularized in the U.S. and Canada during the first half of the 20th century. It is a cross between a cake and a softcookie in texture[ and comes in a variety of forms. Depending on its density, it may be either fudgy or cakey and may include chocolate chips, nuts, or other ingredients. A variation made with brown sugar and chocolate bits but without melted chocolate in the batter is called a blonde brownie or blondie.
Brownies are typically eaten by hand, often accompanied by milk or coffee. They are sometimes served warm with ice cream (à la mode), topped with whipped cream, or sprinkled with powdered sugar. They are common lunchbox treats, and also popular in restaurants and coffeehouses.
One legend about the creation of brownies is that of Bertha Palmer, a prominent Chicago socialite whose husband owned the Palmer House Hotel. In 1893 Palmer asked a pastry chef for a dessert suitable for ladies attending the Chicago World's Columbian Exposition. She requested a cake-like confection smaller than a piece of cake that could be included in boxed lunches. The result was the Palmer House Brownie with walnuts and an apricot glaze. The modern Palmer House Hotel serves a dessert to patrons made from the same recipe.The name was given to the dessert sometime after 1893, but was not used by cook books or journals at the time.
Brownies come in all guises - with nuts, without, butterscotch, swirled with cream cheese, shot through with mint or fruit filling, sprinkled with chips, spiked with espresso or booze, or just plain chocolate in a million variations. But the most important aspect of a brownie, for anyone who loves brownies, is texture. Initially, I thought there were just two camps, cakey versus fudgy, and I was firmly planted in the cakey camp. But after testing, tasting, and canvassing friends and colleagues about what they prize most in a brownie, I began to see that there's a third style to consider: chewy, which is definitely different from its cakey and fudgy siblings.
Enjoy our suggestions for the best brownie.