National Brownie day is on December 8. Every year brownie lovers come from far and wide to celebrate National Brownie Day. Warm, chewy, and rich, a nice chocolate (or blondie) brownie is the perfect dessert to end your night with. Indulge in gooey goodness and let the real world melt away with you for a delectable moment.
History of National Brownie Day:
Legend has it that the creation of brownies came from the Palmer House Hotel in 1893. Bertha Palmer, a prominent Chicago socialite whose husband owned the hotel, asked a pastry chef for a dessert suitable for ladies attending the Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition. She requested a cake-like delicacy small enough to be included in boxed lunches. The result was the Palmer House Brownie with walnuts and an apricot glaze. The modern Palmer House Hotel serves a dessert to patrons made from the same recipe. The name was given to the dessert sometime after 1893, but was not used by cook books or journals at the time.
By 1907 the brownie was well established in a recognizable form, appearing in Lowney’s Cook Book by Maria Willet Howard as an adaptation of the Boston Cooking School recipe for a “Bangor Brownie”. It added an extra egg and an additional square of chocolate, creating a richer dessert. The name “Bangor Brownie” derives from the town of Bangor, Maine, which legend states was the hometown of a housewife who created the original brownie recipe. Maine food educator and columnist Mildred Brown Schrumpf was the predominant proponent of the theory that brownies were invented in Bangor. While “The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink” refuted Schrumpf’s premise that “Bangor housewives” created the brownie, “The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America” said it had discovered evidence to support Schrumpf’s claim, in the form of several 1904 cookbooks that included a recipe for “Bangor Brownies.”
How to observe National Brownie Day:
Enjoy some fudgy, warm brownies. Be sure to invite friends and family to enjoy them with you, too! Pour a glass of milk and maybe add a scoop of ice cream. Share your recipes and celebrations by using #NationalBrownieday on social media.
Brownie FAQ’s:
Q. How many calories are in brownies?
A. A 1 ounce serving of the average brownie is equal to 132 calories
Q. Is there such a thing as house brownies?
A. In Scottish lore, a house brownie is a spirit that helps around the house. They live in the less frequented corners of the house.
Q. Is chocolate the only flavor of brownie?
A. No. While most brownies are made with chocolate, other ingredients make recipes unique. Everything from peanut butter to marshmallow or mint can create a great flavor combination. Blonde brownies or blondies are a type of brownie made without chocolate.
