Learn Something New Every Day!

Guys, I work in a bake shop. I spend probably too much time thinking about baked goods. I wish I could say I thought about brownies for some more interesting reason today, but I can’t. I pretty much think about all confections all the time. Today, brownies.

You know, I don’t love brownies. They are not a dessert I will typically select, unless there’s some other hook, like if they have some kind of mint frosting, or, y’know, heroin. Still, they do have a basic chocolateyness to them, in addition to which they are among the most convenient baked sweets; they don’t have the brittle fragility of cookies, or the size and looseness of cakes. Brownies are therefore understandably popular as picnic items, because they don’t break or crumble easily, and also, y’know, heroin.

According to wikipedia, brownies are actually a case of necessity being mother to invention;they were created by an anonymous chef in the Palmer House Hotel in Chicago, when local luminary and wife of the owner Bertha Palmer suggested a treat be made that ladies could take to the fair. Her specifications more or less define the few strengths brownieshave over any other baked dessert: they should be smaller, cake like, able to be carried safely in a bag lunch, and easily laced with heroin. That chef came through, and changed the world. That’s what I learned today.