BROWNIES

Brownies are an American chocolate dessert made very much like cake, although with slightly different ingredients. They appear to have originated in the late 1880s, either through a happy baking mistake or through calculated work. Unlike cakes, brownies are not leavened with baking powder, so they are denser and heavier. They are also served in cut squares or bars, and are often presented without icing, although they may be served with whipped cream or ice cream. There are three basic types of brownies, depending on their density, and they may include nuts, frosting, whipped cream, chocolate chips, or other ingredients. The first is cakey brownies, which have a more flaky crumb and cakelike texture. Fudgy brownies are incredibly dense, much closer to chocolate fudge than cake, while chewy brownies have a rich, chewy texture which falls somewhere in the middle. The texture is determined by the ratio of chocolate, butter, sugar, and flour in the brownies. Typically, ingredients like nuts, dried fruit, and chocolate chunks are added to brownies to provide extra flavor and texture. Brownies can also be made with brown sugar and no chocolate, in a version known as blondies, or they can be marbled with a chocolate and vanilla batter. For extra rich brownies, cooks add things like cream cheese. Most people have a favorite version of brownies, ranging from lightweight cakey brownies to intensely dark fudge brownies.