Adventures In Brownies
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A day without chocolate is like…well, I must confess that I don’t actually know what a day without chocolate is like.
Almost everyone likes chocolate. Those who don’t are hopefully receiving medical treatment for their ailment. And almost everyone likes brownies. These days, when I am tasked with bringing a dessert to a family event, the most often-requested dish will be one of my brownie recipes. Currently, the Grasshopper Brownie is the front-runner for favorite.
According to the inter-webs, the brownie was invented in Chicago in 1893 at the Palmer House Hotel. Mrs. Bertha Palmer was preparing for her part in the World’s Columbus Expedition (at that time, a celebration of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the New World), and ordered her chefs to create a recipe for a dessert that would be easy to transport in boxed lunches. The result was definitely a brownie, although it wasn’t called that. That name didn’t start appearing in cookbooks until several years later. There are many theories as to why the name “brownie” was chosen, but I didn’t find any of them convincing or even interesting. I’m sure it has nothing to do with the mythical brownie (a faerie housekeeper, or, if you read Harry Potter, a house elf).
If you’re at home and jonesing for chocolate, you can have it in many forms: chocolate candy, chocolate pastries (like brownies), and of course chocolate bars. But I think that many people overlook cocoa powder as a valuable way to turn most anything that wasn’t chocolate into something that is chocolate. And it’s so easy to keep on hand at all times.
There are lots of ways to make brownies. I am not above using a box mix…it’s quick and easy, and they are delicious. And many brownie recipes call for melted chocolate as one of the ingredients. But if you don’t have a box mix or regular chocolate on hand, do not despair. I have just the recipe for those who only have cocoa (definitely a pantry staple; don’t ever run out!) available to them.
My recipe is adapted from one I found in an old Betty Crocker cookbook. The brownies come out more cake-y than fudge-y but I love them. I present to you the method, followed by the recipe with two variations: Cocoa Peanut Butter Brownies and Cocoa Grasshopper Brownies.
The method is so easy. Cream together your softened butter with the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating in between additions. Sift together the dry ingredients and add to the wet ingredients. Beat just long enough for everything to be mixed together and mostly lump free. Do not overbeat the batter. Spread your batter into a greased 8x8” baking pan and bake until brownies appear set in the middle (there are various ways to check this, but I usually just touch the middle and decide done-ness that way). Do not overbake. It’s better to underbake them than overbake them. Cool the brownies completely in their baking pan and then proceed with whatever toppings you desire. I am partial to the Grasshopper topping myself, but the peanut butter topping is also divine. You can also eat them unadorned.
A note: if you want to be fancy and serve these as a more formally-presented dessert, you can use a nice, square pan (I got mine here), line it with parchment baking paper, and lift the brownies out that way onto a cutting board once they are cooled and topped. Use a large sharp knife to trim the edges to make them clean and even (if necessary…like, if you didn’t use a fancy square-bottom pan) and then cut into 16 squares. If you topped the brownies with something, it’s best to wipe the knife clean between each cut.
12-7-23 Addendum: it is quite easy to turn the Grasshopper brownies into peppermint brownies for Christmas. Just change the food coloring from green to pink and sprinkle some crushed candy canes on top of the chocolate glaze.
Classic Cocoa Brownies (with two variations)
Get a printable PDF of the recipe here
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup butter, softened
1 Tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2/3 Cup flour
1/2 Cup cocoa
1/2 Tsp baking powder
1/2 Tsp salt
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350° and grease 8x8" baking dish.
Cream together sugar and butter. Add in eggs and vanilla.
Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and mix until blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Do not overmix.
Spread into the baking dish and bake 20-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let brownies cool completely in the pan before adding any toppings.
PEANUT BUTTER TOPPING:
INGREDIENTS
1/4 Cup softened butter
1/2 Cup peanut butter
1 Cup sifted powdered sugar
2-4 Tsp whole milk
DIRECTIONS
With an electric mixer, cream together the peanut butter and butter until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Finally, add the milk a little at a time until the consistency is spreadable. Spread immediately over completely cooled brownies and let set before cutting into 16 pieces.
GRASSHOPPER TOPPING:
INGREDIENTS
For mint frosting:
2 Tbsp softened butter
1 cup powdered sugar
½ Tsp peppermint extract (or ⅛ Tsp peppermint essential oil)
green food coloring
1-2 Tbsp milk or cream
For chocolate glaze:
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 Tbsp butter
DIRECTIONS
Make the frosting:
Combine powdered sugar, and softened butter. Beat at high speed until combined and then slowly add milk or cream until it is the desired consistency. Add the peppermint flavoring and then the green food coloring to desired color. Frost the cooled brownies, then place them in the fridge while making the chocolate glaze.
Make the chocolate glaze:
Combine butter and chocolate chips in a bowl and microwave in short bursts on low power till melted and smooth. Let cool for 10 minutes, then spread over frosted brownies. Return to the fridge to firm up. Be sure to let come to room temperature before cutting, otherwise the chocolate will crack and break. Cut into 16 pieces.
