When I think “brownies,” I don’t think “Mexican” first. I think of little girls in cute brown uniforms, with brown beanies atop their heads… Or I think of those luscious, decadent, fattening, melt-in-your-mouth chocolatey, culinary delights that I can’t get enough of! But from where did these tasty morsels originate?
They are American, dating back to 1893, Chicago, when a wealthy socialite by
the name of Bertha Palmer asked the chef at the Palmer House Hotel to invent a
dessert that kids could put in their boxed lunches when they attended the Chicago
World’s Fair. (Bertha’s husband, Potter, built the hotel in 1871 and gave it to his wife as
a wedding present.) The original product was dense, fudgy, filled with walnuts and
topped by an apricot glaze.
But let’s not leave Bangor out of the mix. The story goes that a housewife in
Bangor, Maine, attempted to make a chocolate cake but forgot the baking powder, resulting in an unleavened, rich, chocolatey concoction that became known as “Bangor
Brownies.” The recipe first appeared in the Boston Globe, 1905.
Brownies may have been popular back then, but they didn’t take off until
chocolate became more accessible in the U.S. in the ‘20s and afterward, they started to
make their way south-of-the-border, but with a few twists.
As we know, Mexicans like to spice things up a bit and that even applies to their
chocolate, which may be infused with cinnamon and a hint of cayenne pepper, which
adds warmth and depth of flavor — a mix of sweet and spicy — which Mexicans love!
So might we say that Mexican brownies are better than the ones we grew up
with? Make a couple of batches and then you decide. The Mexican brownie recipe included here is from Aaron Sanchez and is considered one of the best. Nothing is changed. Disfruta!
Aaron Sanchez’s Mexican Brownie Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 sticks (1 Cup) (227 g) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing baking dish
(mantequilla san sal) - 2 Cups (400 g) granulated sugar (azúcar estándar)
- 4 large eggs (huevos)
- 2 tsp. (8.4 g) vanilla extract* (extracto de vainilla)
* Mexican brands noted for intense flavor: Villa Vainilla; Vainilla Totonac’s; Molina
Vainilla
⅔ Cup (65 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (cacao en polvo sin azúcar) - 1 Cup (120 g) all-purpose flour*
* Use only American flour, which may be ordered online. - 1 tsp. (4 g) ground Mexican cinnamon (canela)
¼ tsp. (0.45 g) cayenne pepper (pimienta de cayena) or piquin chili powder
(chile piquín en polvo) - ½ tsp. (1.5 g) kosher salt (sal kosher) or any large-grain salt.
- ½ tsp. (2.4 g) baking powder (polvo para hornear)
Instructions:
First:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter.
- Line dish with parchment paper for easy removal (leaving a little paper to hang over
opposite ends to act as handles).
Next:
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.
- In another bowl, mix cocoa powder, flour, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, salt, and baking
powder together until well combined,stirring until just combined. - Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth it out evenly.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a
few moist crumbs. - Allow the brownies to cool in the pan for about 20 minutes before lifting them out using
the parchment paper. Slice into squares and enjoy!
Disfruta!
Deborah McCoy is the one-time author of mainstream, bridal-reference books who has
turned her attention to food, particularly sweets, desserts and fruits. She is the founder
of CakeChatter™ on FaceBook and X (Twitter), and the author of four baking books for
“Dough Punchers” (available @amazon.com). She is also the president of The
American Academy of Wedding Professionals™ (aa-wp.com).
