Buckeye Palmer House Brownies

The original brownie recipe gets an Ohio makeover to become Buckeye Palmer House Brownies. A rich fudgy brownie base is adorned with a crown of crunchy peanuts and coated in an apricot-peanut butter glaze.

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Did you know that the first time the word “brownie” appeared in America was in a Sears Roebuck Catalog published in Chicago, Illinois in 1898 after being served at the 1893 Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition? We can thank Bertha Palmer for asking the Palmer House hotel pastry chef to create a compact, easily boxed dessert for the women who attended. That same recipe is still used at the Palmer House Hilton today and they willingly share the Palmer House brownie recipe!

Obviously I had to try the FIRST brownie recipe, especially if it’s good enough to stand the test of time, but I have to admit I was underwhelmed by the end product. The base just seemed a little two one note for me, so I modified the recipe based on my preferred brownie recipe, used peanuts instead of walnuts, and added peanut butter. Just because you are the original brownie doesn’t mean you are the best brownie – at least in my opinion.

Ohio State plays Illinois today so I figured it was appropriate to make a Buckeye version of the Palmer House Brownies (not to be confused with my Buckeye Brownies). I love a nutty brownie and to have an entire layer on nuts on top was absolutely wonderful. The original Palmer House brownies were brushed straight out of the oven with an apricot preserve glaze so I kept that mostly intact since it seems like a defining characteristic, but I added peanut butter to it because of obvious reasons.

These Buckeye Palmer House brownies have a little bit of a PB&J vibe due to the combination of the apricot preserves and peanut butter and I’m here for it. They kind of remind me of the peanut butter and jelly filled chocolate bars at Trader Joe’s (do they still make those?).

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BUCKEYE PALMER HOUSE BROWNIES

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Yield: 16 Servings Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 45 Minutes 45 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

BROWNIES

• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 6 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup  packed brown sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 oz. (~1 cup) roasted peanuts

GLAZE

• 2 Tbsp apricot preserves
• 2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
• 1 Tbsp water

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8 or 9×9-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper, leaving an overhang on each side. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, and salt together. Set aside.
3. Place a medium heat-safe mixing bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Add chocolate and butter to the bowl. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat, but keep the bowl over the water.
4. Add the sugars, whisking until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan. Let cool to room temperature.
5. Add eggs one at a time to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir just until combined*
6. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a rubber spatula, fold into the chocolate mixture until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible.
7. Pour into prepared baking dish and evenly sprinkle the peanuts over the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
8. While the brownies bake, prepare the glaze. In a small sauce pan**, mix together apricot preserves, peanut butter, and water. Mix thoroughly and bring to a boil, then cover and remove from heat. Brush hot glaze on brownies while still warm.
9. Let the brownies cool completely, then lift them out of the pan using the foil/parchment paper. Cut into squares and serve.

Notes

*Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey. **You could also microwave in increments.

Source: Adapted from Palmer House Hilton Hotel, my Peanut Butter Mississippi Mud Brownies, and my Therapy Brownies.