Any one who enjoys chocolate is bound to love chocolate brownies. I am no exception and love the moist, slightly chewy and fudgy texture of brownies. These Chocolate Brownies are my weakness. I like to think of these my not-so-guilty pleasure because I use cocoa powder to make them, not chocolate. The cocoa powder gves these brownies an intense chocolate flavour that doesn’t come from chocolate alone. e uses cocoa powder and the brownies have a slightly cake-ish texture probably because of this. On baking, these brownies have a nice cracked and crisp top which hides a soft, slightly chewy interior. I like these as much as I like those made with the chocolate.
Chocolate Brownies are an American invention. It is believed to have been invented in 1893 in the Palmer House Hotel. The wife of the owner of the hotel wanted a dessert to serve at the Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition. Her specification was for a dessert that was cake-like but smaller than a piece of cake. So the pastry chef made a very chocolatey confection with walnuts, topped with an apricot glaze.
The first printed recipe for a Brownie is credited to Fanny Farmer. I understand the first recipe had no chocolate in it. She adapted a molasses cookie recipe and baked it in a rectangular pan. Her 1906 edition of The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book had the first Chocolate Brownie recipe. The next Chocolate Brownie recipe is credited to Maria Willet Howard in her Lowney’s Cook Book Illustrated. She added an extra egg and more chocolate to Fanny Farmer’s recipe and named it Bangor Brownies. These were more like today’s brownies.
As always, brownies are easy to make. The batter for these brownies is best mixed by hand. This results in baked brownies with a nice and dense texture and a dry cracked top. My daughter dislikes walnuts so when I’m baking for her I leave them out. You can use other nuts like hazelnuts, cashewnuts or peanuts. That’s not traditional but they’re good. They taste even better if you toast them lightly first before mixing them in. You can also add dried fruit to them instead of nuts. My Brownies photographs have walnuts and dried cranberries in them. Today there are so many variations on the original Chocolate Brownie.
Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup salted butter
- 4 tbsps cocoa powder
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup light brown sugar (or white sugar)
- 1 cup all purpose flour sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch baking powder
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 tbsp powdered sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Beat the eggs and sugar lightly with a wooden spoon, until well mixed.
- Put the butter and cocoa powder in a heat proof bowl and mix, over a pan of boiling water, till the butter and cocoa becomes a smooth paste. Remove from heat. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Add the cocoa-butter paste to the egg-sugar mixture and mix lightly. Now add the flour, baking powder, vanilla and chopped nuts. Fold lightly till everything is well mixed.
- Pour the batter into a parchment lined 8-inch square tin. Bake at 190C (375F) for 20 to 30 minutes till the brownie is done. Allow to cool a bit, remove from the tin and finish cooling on a rack.
- Cut and dust with powdered sugar if you prefer. I have a 7-inch square tin which is what I use to make my brownies so they are little thicker.
I'm Aparna and My Diverse Kitchen is my ovo-lacto vegetarian food blog where you'll find recipes, food stories & photography. I've been blogging since 2007 and believe the kitchen, and the dining table (by extension) is really the heart of a home. 
The brownies looks delicious, Aparna! I too used to make these but preferred the chocolate one. probably because chocolate gives a more gooey feel while cocoa makes it cakeish, like you said! Its going to be a popular entry too:)
Yummy brownied aparna! perfectly made! gr8 job girlie
Looks moist and rich..i like the idea of making them like muffins..Hassle free..
Lovely Brownies,feels like eating it right away.I love walnuts in it.
Lovely Aparna,I too love choclate.Love the brownies.I know they are tasty.
hi aparnathe brownies have come out very well..there is a nice visual appeal.
I would really love this cake as it has cocoa in it.. i am really tempted to try this one.. since it has eggs.. i am quite reluctant 🙁
I have never had brownies with cacao. Should try them.This looks yumm. Yeah i too can’t resist chocolates, just love them
Cocoa in brownies, new. They looks so very soft and delicious.
Lovely brownies 🙂
I love brownies and now you’ve got me thinking I need to make some as soon as I get home today. They look great!
its the unofficial chocolate week in the food blogosphere 🙂 the brownies look fantastic – i love their height!
Delicious Brownies Aparna…looks moist n rich in chocolate..lovely entry..
Gorgeous and delicious, Aparna! I absolutely adore brownies!! 🙂
The look good. Do they still taste the same as real chocolate brownies?
So soft … lovely
love the idea to bake them in muffin cups. nice and chocletey
the brownie muffins are a great idea! it looks all warm and chewy – lovely photo
Truly American,Brownies are every kids and even adults favorite here:)
Great great brownies Aparna…they look decadent. How many muffins/cupcakes do you get out of one batch of batter? I like the idea of doing that for a change.
Just wonderful lush choccie brownies!! I love the idea of making cupcakes with the mixture :)Rosie x
Deeba, I get 10 with this recipe, but you might get a couple more or less depending on the size of your cupcake or muffin tins.
Well, we all love brownies. :DMahimaa,You can replace the eggs with a substitute and bake them. I have made these using flax seeds and they come out quite well.Simran,They don’t have the taste and texture of brownies with chocolate, which would be more moist and gooey. These are chocolatey and a bit cake-like but they are good in a slightly different way.
I just read your comment about about the flax seed substitute for eggs. I still have to try that out, but yeah these cocoa brownies sound not too sinful but just enough to pacify the chocolate craving…perfect.
it looks perfect & yummy
Aparna!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!You are killing me girl! Totally! Chocolate and nuts – I kill for ! Esp walnuts and chocolate I would catch a flight to India right now:) Love love this recipe..and thanks a bunch for sending these ‘oh-my-god’ droolworthy goodies my way.
Thanks again.