When talking about cakes in the context of America, most people probably think first of the traditional pies or the also very popular here Cheesecake . But there is also another classic of American baking culture that is often overlooked when thinking of cake: American Brownies
What are brownies?
For those who have never had the pleasure of enjoying a wonderfully sweet brownie in their lives, you may be wondering: What are brownies? Here is a short introduction.
One chocolate-containing dough mixture, whether made by hand or one of the popular brownie Baking mixes , is placed in a flat cake pan or a special brownie pan Baked until a defined crust is formed. The finished cake is then cut into small, rectangular or square portions cut - the typical serving shape of the brownie.
The American Brownie is traditionally eaten with your hands , optionally served with a variety of mainly sweet side dishes, such as milk , ice cream or powdered sugar .
The brownie recipe – who invented it?
Even though the brownie has only been beginning of the twentieth century and is therefore a very recent addition to the American baking repertoire, its actual origins are, as is often the case, surrounded by numerous myths and legends.
The most famous is the story of the Bertha Palmer , wife of the owner of Chicago's Palmer House Hotel. Legend has it that Palmer commissioned one of the hotel's chefs to create a new dessert item. She took the opportunity to 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The dessert was intended to be part of a lunch box that the hotel wanted to offer its trade fair guests. This idea presumably gave rise to the recipe for the Palmer House Brownie – a variant with Walnut and apricot glaze , which is still served in the hotel today and, if legend is to be believed, represents the original form of the brownie.
Other myths seek the origin of the brownie in Bangor, Maine . The variant there contains more egg and chocolate than most others, which makes the brownies moister and softer. Local recipes for this variation date back to 1904.
According to local legend, a local housewife simply forgot the baking powder when baking a normal chocolate cake and simply served the flat result.
The term brownie was initially used broadly for a variety of small cakes that had little to do with the chocolate brownies that are considered classic today and were initially even baked individually in separate baking tins. The brownie was first given its current form in a Boston recipe from 1906 , which was published several times in cookbooks and newspapers in the following years and initiated the triumph of the sweet dessert throughout the nation.
Are brownies cake?
As is often the case, everything is a question of definition .
Loud Oxford Languages A cake is a “[larger, baked in a baking pan] pastry made of Flour , Fat , Sugar , eggs and other ingredients".
But what exactly does a brownie consist of? Of course, there are a huge number of variations, but the classic chocolate brownie, as we know it from films and television, basically consists of the following ingredients:
- Flour
- butter
- Sugar
- eggs
- Chocolate
- Salt
- cocoa
- baking powder
In terms of ingredients and preparation, the brownie would undoubtedly be a cake according to this definition.
Other definitions, however, classify the brownie not as a cake, but as a biscuit variant, especially the so-called Cookie Bars . According to this definition, Brownies are not cakes , as they instead of with a fork traditionally primarily eaten with bare hands like cookies.
From today's perspective, however, this definition is more than vague, as brownies are often eaten with ice cream, eggnog or similar sauces, or as a warm version with forks.
American brownies – cakey, fudgy or chewy?
Whether it's cake or not, there's no doubt that there's a point where brownie lovers' opinions differ.
Is the best American Brownie fudgy or cakey ?
But what exactly is the difference for the brownie layman?
Cakey Brownies are, as the name suggests, much closer in texture and volume to the ones commonly found in our country. Cake They are usually lighter and airier and even though they retain the typical inner moisture of brownies, they are less sticky than other variants. The main difference is in the preparation. For airy, cake-like brownies, Air is beaten into the batter . As with cakes, this usually happens when eggs and butter are beaten. This makes the batter stiffer and the result after baking is light and airy. In general, cakey brownies have less sugar, butter and flour than their fudgy cousins.
Fudgy Brownies are the variant that most people in this country probably recognize as American Brownies. The brownies are juicy, soft and often still slightly undercooked inside , which gives them an almost sticky consistency To avoid the lightness that is known from cakes, Eggs and butter are mixed with the other ingredients without being beaten . The dough remains heavy and juicy .
Chewy Brownies are mostly variations of the Fudgy Brownies. To give the brownies a little more “chewiness”, simply increase the amount of added flour . But be careful: this can cause the brownies dry out quickly . So pay particular attention to the baking time. If you want, you can counteract this risk by adding an extra egg. The extra chewing resistance is retained.
Make your own brownies – even vegan
You want Make your own brownies ? We'll show you what you need to pay attention to. To give the brownies the perfect consistency, there are a whole range of factors and variables that every brownie chef should keep in mind.
Let’s start with the Dough .
Anyone who has tried their hand at baking knows the pitfalls of mixing the dough correctly. Sometimes it is too sticky, sometimes it is too crumbly or it just doesn't rise properly after all the effort and work. The pitfalls and hurdles of baking are many if you want to perfect your craft and the brownie is no exception.
Anyone who likes to argue about how moist and soft a brownie should be should pay special attention to the butter If you want an airy Cakey Brownie , you should beat the butter to get air into the dough. Crucial for Fudgy Brownies The main problem is the amount of butter used. The idea is actually simple - the more butter, the creamier, juicier and softer the brownie will be. But you have to be careful. Butter is fat and as every child knows, moderation is the key to lasting health.
Although traditional brownie recipes clearly call for butter, vegans and vegetarians here with appropriate margarine or even vegetable oil (eg coconut oil). But here too, fat is fat. So don't forget to eat in moderation.
To beat the eggs or not?
For fluffy cakey brownies, beat the eggs before adding them to the other ingredients. If you prefer gooey fudgy brownies, stir the eggs into the chocolate without beating them.
Small tip: Those who like their desserts vegan enjoy or simply no eggs If you have flour in the house, you can simply mix the flour with other ingredients before mixing it with Water to a thick paste. If you like it a little more exotic, you can also mix the eggs with applesauce - for a good binding and a slightly fruity note. This preserves the soft texture of the end result. The brownies are usually made with these variants more fudgy than cakey , but the airiness of the dough can be improve by whipping butter/margarine .
What is still missing is the Chocolate . Even though it smells so tempting and irresistible when freshly melted, do not mix it with the other ingredients straight away. Warm chocolate makes the dough hard and the brownies will end up dry. Let the chocolate so cool down in peace before you start mixing.
Whoever here vegan should be darker chocolates with a cocoa content of at least 60% These often only contain cocoa, cocoa butter and sugar.
And while we're on the subject of mixing: just mix the dough Do not mix too much . Add the flour slowly and only little by little into the melted chocolate and do not mix it into a mixture that is too homogeneous. Only slightly mixed dough also allows the brownies to remain softer, while a completely homogeneous mass hardens faster .
The best way to mix the traditional brownie batter is by hand with a whisk or a kitchen spoon. If possible, Keep your hands off the food processor .
But even if the dough is successful, this still does not guarantee the perfect brownie. Other baking factors are also crucial for the inner consistency. The wrongly chosen baking time and temperature can quickly make even the perfect brownie batter too hard. 180° top/bottom heat for 30 minutes is a good guideline, but the ideal values vary depending on the oven.
And if you want to guarantee a nice juicy interior, the thickness of the dough layer in the form, otherwise the dough hardens too quickly from the inside or remains moist and half-cooked, similar to Soufflés or lava cakes , even liquid.
And then there still remains the finish .
Whether cakey or fudgy, brownies can be made in endless Whether with crumbles, baked on a traditional biscuit base, with cheesecake topping, with baked-in fruit or as a substitute for ladyfingers in tiramisu – with brownies there is something for everyone.
Saving dry brownies
But what do you do if, despite all your efforts, the worst happens? Did the new oven maintain a different temperature? Did the delivery man come at exactly the wrong time again?
Whatever the reason, the brownies quickly become soggy if the baking time is too long or the temperature is too high. hard and dry . What now?
Fortunately, overbaked brownies can be easily repaired with a few small life hacks still save and back in moist brownies To do this, simply poke holes in the brownies with a toothpick or fork. Then, depending on the age and taste, orange juice or rum The brownies will soak up the liquid, become moist again and also get a additional flavor note .
If the surface has become too hard, simply glaze with jelly or compote .
Gluten-free brownies – but with flavor please
About the preferences and advantages of gluten-free foods has been discussed a lot for years. The fact is that many people would like to enjoy traditional baked goods without the addition of gluten. The good news: Brownies can also be made gluten-free .
Gluten-free baking is always difficult at first glance, but Flour but a basis for pretty much every known recipe for cakes, cookies, etc. – including brownies.
But there are alternatives. If you want to bake gluten-free, simply replace the flour in a 1:1 ratio with a mixture of alternative flours (e.g. coconut flour ) and ground hazelnuts or almonds .
For the adventurous bakers, you can at least make fudgy brownies even without any flour and similar substitutes. Mixing butter, chocolate and sugar creates a thick, sticky paste that ensures that the ingredients bind well even without the addition of flour.
But without any flour – is the brownie no longer a cake after all?
Brownie Baking Mix – Baking juicy brownies made easy
Yes, there are many things that can go wrong when baking brownies, regardless of whether you prefer them cakey or fudgy. But luckily there are easy ways for beginners, hobby bakers and connoisseurs fresh brownies from the home oven or the Thermomix to taste.
For the traditional version, we at American Heritage supply the Brownie baking mixes from Stonewall Kitchen . Simply follow the instructions on the package, add a few ingredients from your pantry and put it in the oven! Apart from the moist and wonderfully sweet dough, the freshly baked brownies are only enhanced by their full-bodied taste of dark chocolate surpassed. In any case, a real treat!
And finally we have a very special Insider tip:
For gluten-free and super delicious For brownies we recommend the baking mix from celebrity chef Thomas Keller from Cup4Cup . According to the motto “Giving up gluten doesn't mean giving up the foods you've always loved” , Chef Thomas Keller has created a gluten-free alternative to the classic brownie mix. Simply combine a bag of baking mix with 2 large eggs, 2 tablespoons of water and half a cup of melted butter or coconut oil and bake for a gluten-free dessert without compromising on taste.
Ideal for baking in a traditional 8 x 8 shape .
- Brownie mold made of glass by Anchor Hocking
And if you can't get enough of chocolate, you can always top the brownies with our wide variety of chocolate chips from Guittard There is the right sweetness for every taste, from Milk chocolate to dark chocolate , and much more:
- Chocolate Chips Milk Chocolate from Guittard
- Chocolate Chip Choc-au-Lait from Guittard
- Chocolate Chips Semi Sweet from Guittard
- Chocolate Chips Extra Dark from Guittard
- Chocolate Chip Super Cookie from Guittard
- Baking Chips Butterscotch from Guittard
- Chocolate Chips Green Mint from Guittard
