02/08/2020
In my humble opinion, there is nothing quite as decadent and naughty as a really good chocolate brownie. When it comes to describing the perfect chocolate brownie the world splits into two camps on the brownie issues: crumbly and cakey, and dense and fudgey and there are a whole range of recipes to accommodate both sets of brownie devotees.
Our perfect brownies demands a mixture of cocoa powder and chocolate, for ultimate richness of flavor without heaviness, and intensive beating. Indeed the classic brownie consists of just a few ingredients: butter, sugar, chocolate, eggs, and flour; yet with such a simple recipe comes variable results. Indeed a batch of brownie mix can turn out cake-like, chewy, fudgy, dry or under-baked in the center; bearing testimony to the fact that baking truly is a form of alchemy and not art as other perceived it to be. Just a fractional change in the ingredients used can make a huge difference to the finished article – indeed it’s all in the mix. It is certain that whilst chocolate brownies are often a recipe that we attempt early on in life, getting the perfect chocolate brownie is far from child’s play and getting the recipe right is a problem that has been with us bakers for generations.
As we sit down with a frothy coffee and a chocolate brownie it is easy to think that we are enjoying a modern treat, yet we have the Victorians to thank for this classic bakery delight. There is no doubt that whilst the brownie is now a part of modern culture, it has its origins steeped in history and is filled with European influences.
In baking history the brownie is important in terms of the development of cooking with chocolate. Today there are reams of recipes that call for copious quantities of chocolate to be incorporated into them, but back in 1893 when the first documented evidence of the Brownies existence emerges the significant quantities of chocolate and fats were unusual. The story of the birth of the brownie goes that a wealthy socialite called Mrs. Bertha Potter Palmer made a special culinary request to the chef at The Palmer House Hotel in Chicago, to create a dessert that could be tucked into a box lunch for ladies to eat while attending the Columbian Exposition. The chef diligently obliged and created a rich, indulgent, fudgy-chocolate confection – the brownie was born. The brownie remains on the hotel’s menu today, testimony to their sustained gastronomic appeal. These early brownies were a little different to the popular recipes we enjoy today, being topped with walnuts and an apricot glaze.
The wonderful thing about Brownies is that whilst some of their history is unclear their popularity is enduring and multi-generational. There is no doubt that the chocolate Brownie still has a leading role to play in the history of baking and its popularity is now global.
Nocty’s Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients:
250 grams 70% cocoa chocolate
250 grams salted butter
300 grams caster sugar
3 large eggs, plus 1 extra egg yolk, lightly beaten
60 grams plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
60 grams good quality cocoa powder
2-3 of drops of orange oil
Baking Procedure: Secret
