According to the Palmer House hotel in Chicago, the brownie was born in its kitchen. In 1893, Bertha Palmer, the hotel owner's wife, asked pastry chef Joseph Sehl for a dessert that ladies could carry in box lunches at the World's Columbian Exposition, smaller than a slice of cake and not messy. The result was a dense chocolate square topped with walnuts and an apricot glaze. Historians note the 1893 date is not documented, but the hotel still bakes them.
They are richer and fudgier than most brownies, and the apricot glaze makes them glossy and just a little tart. Chill them before cutting for neat squares.
Ingredients
Brownies
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut up
1 1/4 cups sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
Apricot glaze
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
Instructions
Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 325°F and grease a 9 by 13-inch baking pan.
Melt the chocolate. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler, or in the microwave in short bursts, stirring until smooth. Let it cool slightly.
Make the batter. Whisk the sugar and flour together, then stir in the chocolate. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
Bake. Spread the batter in the pan and scatter the walnuts over the top, pressing them in lightly. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until the edges are set and a toothpick in the center comes out with moist crumbs. Cool in the pan.
Glaze. Heat the apricot preserves, water and gelatin in a small saucepan, stirring, until the gelatin dissolves and the glaze is smooth. Brush it over the cooled brownies and refrigerate until set, about 1 hour, then cut into squares.
Tips
Chill before cutting; the glaze sets and the squares cut cleanly.
Strain the glaze if your preserves have large pieces of fruit.
Keep them covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Questions about this recipe
Was the brownie really invented at the Palmer House?
The Palmer House says its pastry chef created the brownie in 1893 at Bertha Palmer's request for the World's Columbian Exposition. Food historians note there is no record from 1893 itself, but it is one of the earliest and best-known brownie stories.
What makes a Palmer House brownie different?
It is very dense and fudgy, with walnuts pressed into the top and a shiny apricot glaze brushed over it.
Other versions on the site: Fudgy Brownies (a classic chewy brownie, no glaze).
