When talking about cakes in America, most people probably think of the traditional Pies or the also very popular here Cheesecake . But there's another classic of American baking culture that's often overlooked when people think of cakes: American Brownies
What are brownies?
For those who have never had the pleasure of enjoying a wonderfully sweet brownie in their lives, you may rightly ask: What are brownies? Here's a brief introduction.
One chocolate-containing Dough mix, whether handmade or one of the popular brownie Baking mixes , is placed in a flat cake tin 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 the 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 can be proven 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. For the occasion, she took the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The dessert was intended to be part of a lunchbox 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, making the brownies moister and softer. Local recipes for this version date back to 1904.
According to local legend, a local housewife simply forgot the baking powder while baking a normal chocolate cake and simply served the flat result.
The term brownie was initially used broadly to describe a variety of small cakes that had little in common with the classic chocolate brownies we now know as chocolate brownies, and were initially baked individually in separate baking tins. The brownie first acquired 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 through the nation.
Are brownies cakes?
As so often, everything is a Question of definition .
Loud Oxford Languages A cake is a “[larger, baked in a baking tin] 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 seen in movies 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 are sharply divided.
Is the best American Brownie fudgy or cakey ?
But what exactly is the difference for the brownie novice?
Cakey Brownies are, as the name suggests, in texture and volume much closer to the ones common in our country Cake They are mostly lighter and airier and even though they retain the typical inner moisture of brownies, they are less sticky than other varieties. The main difference lies 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 baked result light and airy. Cakey brownies generally 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 typical of 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 bit more chewiness, simply increase the amount of added flour . But be careful: this can cause the brownies They dry out quickly . So pay special 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 Want to make your own brownies ? We'll show you what you need to keep in mind. To achieve the perfect consistency, there are a number of factors and variables that every brownie chef should keep in mind.
Let’s start with the Dough .
Anyone who's ever tried their hand at baking knows the pitfalls of mixing the right batter. Sometimes it's too sticky, sometimes it's too crumbly, or sometimes it just doesn't rise properly after all the effort and work. The pitfalls and hurdles of baking are many and varied when it comes to perfecting your craft, and brownies are 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 batter. Crucial for Fudgy Brownies The main problem is the amount of butter used. The idea is actually simple – the more butter, the creamier, moister, and softer the brownie will be. But caution is advised. 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 (e.g., 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.
Little tip: Who likes his desserts vegan want to enjoy or simply no eggs 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 bit 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 final 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 .
The Chocolate . Even though it smells so tempting and irresistible when freshly melted, don't mix it with the other ingredients immediately. Warm chocolate makes the dough hard and the brownies will end up dry. Let the chocolate so cool down in peace before mixing.
Whoever is here vegan should be darker chocolates with a Cocoa content of at least 60% These often contain only cocoa, cocoa butter, and sugar.
And while we're on the subject of mixing: just mix the dough Do not overmix . Add the flour slowly and gradually to the melted chocolate and do not mix it too homogenously. A lightly mixed batter also keeps the brownies softer, while a fully homogeneous mass hardens faster .
The traditional brownie batter is best mixed by hand with a whisk or a spoon. If possible, Keep your hands off the food processor .
But even if the batter is perfect, that still doesn't guarantee the perfect brownie. Other baking factors also play a role in the internal consistency. The wrong choice of Baking time and temperature can quickly make even the perfect brownie batter too hard. 180°C 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 is still the finish .
Whether cakey or fudgy, brownies can be made in endless Whether with sprinkles, baked on a traditional biscuit base, with cheesecake topping, with baked fruit, or as a substitute for sponge fingers in tiramisu – with brownies there 's something for everyone.
Saving dry brownies
But what do you do when, 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 are quickly spoiled 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 absorb 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 a hotly debated topic for years. The fact is that many people enjoy traditional baked goods without the added 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 well-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 completely without flour and similar substitutes. Mixing Butter, chocolate and sugar creates a thick, sticky paste that, if necessary, ensures that the ingredients bind well even without adding flour.
But without any flour – is the brownie no longer a cake after all?
Brownie baking mix – baking moist brownies made easy
Yes, there are many things you can do 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 to make them. 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 bake them in the oven! Aside from the moist and deliciously sweet batter, these freshly baked brownies are only enhanced by their full-bodied flavor. dark chocolate surpassed. A real treat in any case!
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 one pouch of brownie 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 .
- Glass brownie mold from Anchor Hocking
And if you can’t get enough of chocolate, you can always top your 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:
