Brownie

A variation made with brown sugar and vanilla rather than chocolate in the batter is called a blond brownie or blondie.

Chocolate brownie:

A chocolate brownie, or simply a brownie, is a chocolate baked confection. Brownies come in a variety of forms and may be either fudgy or cakey, depending on their density. Brownies often, but not always, have a glossy "skin" on their upper crust. They may also include nuts, frosting, cream cheese, chocolate chips, or other ingredients.

When brownie meets vanilla ice cream:

A chocolate brownie with a scoop of ice cream on top served with a generous pouring of melted chocolate on the ice-cream builds a wonderful fusion.

Fudge vs Brownie:

Fudge doesn't contain very much besides chocolate, sweetened condensed milk and if you want some inclusions like nuts, marshmallows, cookies, cacao nibs, peanut butter, dried fruit and so on. Whereas brownies contain cacao powder (no chocolate!), flour, eggs, butter or oil, baking powder and nuts.

History:

One legend about the creation of brownies is that of Bertha Palmer, a prominent Chicago socialite whose husband owned the Palmer House Hotel. In 1893, Palmer asked a pastry chef for a dessert suitable for ladies attending the Chicago World's Columbian Exposition. She requested a cake-like confection smaller than a piece of cake that could be included in boxed lunches. The result was the Palmer House Brownie, made of chocolate 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 some time after 1893, but was not used by cook books or journals at the time.

An exquisite recipe:

Equipment

• 8x8 Baking Dish ( so they don't overcook)
• Cooking Spray
• Parchment Paper (this makes it so much easier to remove the brownies from the pan)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar*
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted if lumpy
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 3/4 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup canola oil or extra-virgin olive oil**
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly spray an 8x8 baking dish (not a 9x9 dish or your brownies will overcook) with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper.

• In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, chocolate chips, and salt.

• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, olive oil, water, and vanilla.

• Sprinkle the dry mix over the wet mix and stir until just combined.

• Pour the batter into the prepared pan (it'll be thick - that's ok) and use a spatula to smooth the top. Bake for 40 to 48 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with only a few crumbs attached (note: it's better to pull the brownies out early than to leave them in too long). Cool completely before slicing.*** Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. These also freeze well!

points to be noted:

*If you'd like to reduce the sugar, I've had success with 1 cup granulated sugar instead of 1 1/2 cups.

**I like to use olive oil because it's what I keep on hand and I enjoy the pairing of olive oil with chocolate. Keep in mind that you will taste it here. For a more neutral flavor, use canola oil.

***When these brownies come out of the oven, they'll be super gooey in the middle. Allow them to cool completely, about 2 hours, before you slice into them to give them a chance to set up. They'll continue to firm up the longer they're out of the oven. If you still prefer a firmer brownie, store them in the fridge.