First Brownie Recipe in a Cookbook

nitrofd

Retired User
Joined
Jan 20, 2013
Location
north central florida
The first Brownie recipe was shown at the 1893 Worlds Fair and was given out on a piece of paper it was not until 1906 that it was published in the revised 1st.edition of the "FANNIE FARMER'S BOSTON COOKING SCHOOL COOK BOOK" which was 648 pages.
The first printing of the Fannie Farmer Cookbook was published in 1896 which was a rewrite of "Mary Lincoln 1884 Boston Cooking School Text Book.
Here is the first published recipe from 1906:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
1 egg,unbeaten
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup walnuts,cut in pieces
Mix ingredients in order given.Line a 7 inch square pan with paraffine paper.Spread mixture evenly in pan and bake in a slow oven.As soon as taken from oven turn from pan,remove paper and cut cake in strips,using a sharp knife.if these directions are not followed,paper will cling to cake,and it will be impossible to cut in shapely pieces.
If you would want to see the original cookbook book go to the link.you can view each printed page of which there are 623 pages or you can download a pdf file of the pics so you can view them easier.
Be advised that the first 31 pages are the table of contents.

digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/cookbooks/html/books/book_48.cfm
 
This recipe wouldn't go over today as we are used to a much more richer brownie.

Those richer brownies while very tasty are a bit overwhelming since they contain so much chocolate and sugar. I always enjoyed the brownies my grandmother made and hers was a very simple recipe, no need to include toffee or drizzled caramel and all that other stuff. Guess I'm a brownie traditionalist :wink:

Plus I'm surprised brownies weren't in a cookbook sooner!
 
Those richer brownies while very tasty are a bit overwhelming since they contain so much chocolate and sugar. I always enjoyed the brownies my grandmother made and hers was a very simple recipe, no need to include toffee or drizzled caramel and all that other stuff. Guess I'm a brownie traditionalist :wink:

Plus I'm surprised brownies weren't in a cookbook sooner!
They were invented for the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, so it wasn't that long before Fannie Farmer put it in a cookbook in 1906.
 
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