Sunset Over Albuquerque

Today is National Umbrella Day - but since most of us in the high desert have never owned an umbrella, I decided to celebrate NATIONAL CREAM CHEESE BROWNIE DAY!!

There are several stories on the origins of chocolate brownies. One of the stories is that in 1893, Bertha Palmer, an affluent socialite, wanted something special baked for the ladies while they attended the Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition. She asked the chef of Palmer House Hotel, which her husband owned, to make something similar to a cake but only smaller. And thus, the Palmer House brownies were born.

However, the term “brownie” would only come up years later, in 1896, in the book, “Boston Cooking School Book,” written by Fannie Farmer. In 1899, the first-known recipe for the chocolate brownie was printed in “Machias Cookbook,” and by 1907, the brownie had become a well-known dessert and started to become popular among people of all ages. Another theory holds that brownies were invented in Bangor, Maine.

Over the years, many versions and varieties of brownies have come up. Brownies are enjoyed with peanut butter, marshmallows, etc. However, one of the most popular among these is the cream cheese brownie. 

So have a brownie with your Super Bowl party snacks, and GO CHIEFS!!