Brownies are an American chocolate dessert made very much like cake, although with slightly different ingredients. They appear to have originated in the late 1880s, either through a happy baking mistake or through calculated work. Unlike cakes, brownies are not leavened with baking powder, so they are denser and heavier. They are also served in cut squares or bars, and are often presented without icing, although they may be served with whipped cream or ice cream.

There are three basic types of brownies. The first is cakey brownies, which have a more flaky crumb and cakelike texture. Fudgy brownies are incredibly dense, much closer to chocolate fudge than cake, while chewy brownies have a rich, chewy texture which falls somewhere in the middle. The texture is determined by the ratio of chocolate, butter, sugar, and flour in the brownies.

Typically, ingredients like nuts, dried fruit, and chocolate chunks are added to brownies to provide extra flavor and texture. Brownies can also be made without chocolate, in a version known as blondies, or they can be marbled with a chocolate and vanilla batter. For extra rich brownies, cooks add things like cream cheese. Most people have a favorite version of brownies, ranging from lightweight cakey brownies to intensely dark fudge brownies.

Since this wiseGEEK writer prefers chewy brownies, the following recipe will yield a batch of dense, chewy brownies. Like other chewy brownies, this recipe can dry out if it is not carefully monitored through the baking process. Be aware that brownies in metal pans will cook more quickly than those in glass!

Start by melting five ounces (142 grams) of chocolate in a double boiler on medium heat along with eight tablespoons of butter. Stir with a heat-resistant spatula to prevent burning, and set the mixture aside to cool when it has completely melted. Next, whisk two large eggs together with two teaspoons of vanilla and one quarter teaspoon salt. Add the chocolate mixture to the eggs when it has cooled, following with one cup of flour. If you want to add inclusions such as fruit and nuts, chop them finely and add no more than one cup.

Grease a nine by 13 inch (23 by 33 centimeters) baking pan while the oven preheats to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Pour the batter into the baking pan, smoothing it out with a spatula, and bake for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the brownies come out with a few small, moist crumbs. Pull the brownies out of the oven and onto a rack to cool, and when they have cooled enough to handle, loosen the sides with a thin knife and flip them onto a metal rack to cool all the way before cutting and eating or packaging in an airtight container.