The eighth of December is set aside annually to honour brownies with the designation of “National Brownie Day.” This day celebrates brownies, which are nearly everyone’s favourite kind of baked good. The baked product in question is a perennial favourite. There are a great many variations of brownies, the most popular of which has a chocolate taste and is dark in colour. Despite this, the most common form of brownie is chocolate-flavored and black in colour. If you are someone who enjoys brownies, you should most certainly not miss out on this event.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL BROWNIE DAY
According to a local urban legend, the Palmer House Hotel in Chicago was the birthplace of brownies in the year 1893. During the Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition, Bertha Palmer, a renowned Chicago socialite whose husband was the hotel’s owner, approached a pastry chef and asked for a dessert that would be appropriate for the ladies in attendance.
She asked for a cake-like delicacy that could be made in a size that was suitable for packing in packed lunches. The end result was a brownie called the Palmer House Brownie, which had walnuts and a glaze made of apricots. Customers at the contemporary Palmer House Hotel are offered a sweet dish that is prepared using the same recipe. Sometime after 1893, the sweet dish was given its current name, but at the time, it was not referenced in any cookbooks or culinary periodicals.
By 1907, the brownie had become firmly established in a shape that was easily identifiable. It appeared in Lowney’s Cook Book by Maria Willet Howard as an adaptation of the recipe for a “Bangor Brownie” that was developed at the Boston Cooking School. A more decadent dish was produced as a result of the addition of one additional egg and a square of chocolate.
The term “Bangor Brownie” originates from the city of Bangor, located in the state of Maine. Local lore has it that a housewife from Bangor was the one who came up with the first recipe for brownies. Mildred Brown Schrumpf, a food educator and journalist in Maine, was the preeminent proponent of the claim that brownies were originated in Bangor.
Schrumpf’s hypothesis that “Bangor housewives” were responsible for the invention of the brownie was debunked in “The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink,” but “The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America” stated that it had found evidence to support Schrumpf’s claim. This evidence came in the form of several cookbooks published in 1904 that included a recipe for “Bangor Brownies.”
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How to Celebrate National Brownie Day
Finding different ways to celebrate and have fun on National Brownie Day doesn’t need nearly as much effort as one might think. It is possible to show respect and commemorate this day by consuming brownies, baking brownies, and sharing them with other people. All of these activities can be combined. To get things rolling, give some of these suggestions a shot:
- Take a Bite (or Two!) of That Brownie!
One of the most obvious and enjoyable ways to commemorate National Brownie Day is to savour one’s favourite sweet confection while ensconced in front of a hulking slab of brownie and doing so. Do not let National Brownie Day pass without indulging in a bite of decadent chocolate cake regardless of whether it is more convenient to get a mix in a box or to stop by the neighbourhood bakery. - Try Baking Brownies
It’s possible that the speed and simplicity with which brownies can be prepared is one of the reasons for their widespread appeal. In the same vein as cake, but without the requirement of a fork or plate, brownies are even simpler to prepare than cookies due to the fact that they do not need to be individually placed on the baking pan. This makes them an ideal alternative. - In addition to this, the fact that excellent brownie mixes are readily available at supermarkets and grocery stores makes the process significantly less complicated. A simple brownie mix may be transformed into so much more with the addition of a few tasty extras, such as nuts, candies, or frosting.
- Baking brownies at home is a pleasant activity that can typically be completed in less than one hour, regardless of whether you make them from scratch or add your own twist to a boxed mix. That simply frees up more time for me to consume them!
- Explore Unique Brownie Flavors
Some individuals believe that the traditional recipe for brownies is flawless and does not require any modifications at all. For others, it’s a blank canvas on which to paint all sorts of wonderful flavours and complementary combinations, and for others, it’s a canvas on which to paint a masterpiece. That makes sense coming from the purists; after all, if something isn’t broken, there’s no reason to fix it, is there? - But for those who won’t be content with anything simple, here are some inventive methods to take brownie making (and eating!) to an entirely new level:
- Nutter Butter Truffle Brownies. This idea is simple since it uses a typical boxed brownie mix. It creates a delicious layer with cream cheese and nutter butter cookies, and then it tops that layer with a layer of chocolate that has a peanut-butter flavour.
Brownies topped with raspberry cheesecake. Imagine a cheesecake with fresh raspberries baked right into it, sitting over a layer of brownies as the base of the dessert. However, instead of just imagining them, you should go ahead and bake them, and then you should consume them. - Zucchini Butterfinger Brownies. Are you looking for ways to prepare brownies that are healthier while yet maintaining their gooey and delectable texture? Use zucchini as a basis! They differ from the norm in that they are topped with crushed Butterfinger candy bars and are both delicious and more nutritious than the regular.
- Brownies stuffed with cookie dough. These brownies are loaded with additional delectable delights that are baked directly into the batter, making them an extremely decadent treat. They begin with a layer of chocolate chip cookie dough, followed by a layer of store-bought cookies (Double Stuf Oreos, Nutter Butters, or Milanos are all excellent choices), and then end with a layer of brownie batter combination poured on top.
- It’s like a giant cookie and brownie party in here!
Since brownies are prepared in large pans and then cut into smaller pieces after baking, they are the perfect dessert for sharing with friends and loved ones because of their ability to be divided into many serving sizes. Get in your car and drive over to the neighbours’ house to give some brownies, or bring some into the classroom of your children’s teachers to brighten their day. - You are sure to gain some “brownie points” with those co-workers if you bring in a tray of brownies to your office. You may even be able to sweeten up the boss enough to get a raise as a result of your gesture. Okay, so maybe not, but public acknowledgment of that kindness might still get you a long way.
- Gather the Brownies for a get-together.
Even better, throw a party with a brownie-related theme, either at your house or at your place of employment. Be sure to keep a good supply of milk on hand, as there is nothing that complements a decadent chocolate dessert quite like a tall glass of fresh milk. There are many different flavour options available, so you should have no trouble finding a wonderful assortment of sweets to indulge in. National Brownie Day is another another fantastic justification to gorge oneself on chocolate.
Why To Celebrate
To help you decide if you should take part in National Brownie Day festivities, consider these important points:
- A great way to spend time with loved ones, coworkers, classmates, and other acquaintances is over a shared pan of brownies.
- There are so many different variations of brownies that learning about them all might be exhausting. There are numerous varieties of brownies, including chocolate brownies, fudgy brownies, peanut butter brownies, banana brownies, cheesecake brownies, and many more.
- Making brownies is a breeze. There are plenty straightforward recipes online that can lead you to the perfect brownies.
Final Words
On December 8th, we celebrate Brownie Day. Brownie fans from all over the world travel to celebrate the annual National Brownie Day. An excellent brownie (chocolate or blondie) is the ideal nightcap because it is warm, chewy, and rich. Dig into some ooey-gooey deliciousness and forget about the world for a while.