Are Mexican Brownies Better . . .?

When I think brownies, I don’t think “Mexican” first. They are USA-ers, 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!

The Mexican brownie recipe included here is from Chef Aaron Sanchez and is considered one of the best. Nothing is changed. ¡Disfruta!

Aaron Sanchez’s Mexican Brownie Recipe

Ingredients:

2 sticks (1 c.) (227 g) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing baking dish
2 c. (400 g) granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp. (8.4 g) vanilla extract*
* 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 c. (120 g) all-purpose flour ** Use only American flour, which may be ordered online.
1 tsp. (4 g) ground Mexican cinnamon
¼ tsp. (0.45 g) cayenne pepper (pimienta de cayena) or piquin chili powder
½ tsp. (1.5 g) kosher salt or any large-grain salt.
tsp. (2.4 g) baking powder

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 – 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 min. before lifting them out using
  the parchment paper. Slice into squares and enjoy!