Brownies...yes, please! Celebrate National Brownie Day with the ranking of 29 successes and misses we found at the local grocery store
Cleveland, oh-brownies are classic American desserts, often at the center of heated debate. Do you prefer fudge, chewy or more like cake? Do you prefer from the side of the pot or the middle? Heating or cooling from the oven? Milk chocolate or dark chocolate?
No matter how much you like them, today is the best time to celebrate this beloved baked good. December 8th is National Brownie Day.
There are many stories about who "invented" Brownie. A story tells of a chef who mistakenly added melted chocolate to the biscuits. The other tells of a chef who was baking a cake, but there was not enough flour, and he baked it anyway.
However, the most famous legend is that a housewife in Bangor, Maine did not add baking powder when making chocolate cakes. Before the cake came, she still served a flat cake.
Other sources attribute the chocolate cake to Bertha Potter Palmer, a wealthy socialite who asked the chef at the Palmer House Hotel to make a dessert that could be Included in the boxed lunch of the ladies who participated in the Chicago Columbian Exposition in 1837. Today's hotel menu.
To be honest, mixing a batch of brownies from scratch is almost as easy as using a boxed mixture. But during the holidays, all the chaos of shopping, decoration, and entertainment may make it almost impossible for you to have time to bake a pan of delicious food. So Yadi Rodriguez and Brenda Cain, the best Cleveland reporters of Cleveland.com, looked for the next best thing in grocery bakeries and large stores in northeastern Ohio. They found 29 types of chocolate cakes, and you can provide cakes that please your family and guests.
The brownie cakes bought in the store today come in various flavors and toppings-peanut butter, mint, cream cheese, coconut, raspberries, nuts, candies or caramel, etc.-so you will definitely find something you like.
We tasted all 29 to help you understand which ones are worth indulgence and which ones are best left on the shelf.
Here, they are accompanied by taste test instructions, arranged in order from worst to best.
No. 29 Cream Cheese Brownie (Walmart) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: Walmart
Our thoughts: the brownie itself is a bit dry and the icing is very sugary-to the point of gritty. Sadly, there was no taste of cream cheese, or even the aroma. The icing has more lemon flavor. Worst of all, the "cream cheese" icing is dry and crusty, peeled directly from the chocolate cake.
No. 28 Ultimate Chocolate Brownies (Walmart-Marketside) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: Walmart
Our thought: This chocolate cake is not up to the standard because of its density-but not the density of the fudge that many of us seek in chocolate cakes. This one is thick and dry-even if it is cut like a fondant, its texture is more chalky. This taste reminds us of baker's cocoa, without any added sweetness. However, the chocolate chip above is a plus.
No. 27 Madeleine & Brownie Tiny Treats (Target) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: goals
Our thoughts: This version of brownie is exactly the definition of "buy in store". We don't like the combination of flavors. Madeleine noodles are more sweet than brownie and are much drier than brownie noodles. All in all, any redemptive qualities brought by the chocolate cake are lost in this combination.
No. 26 Sea Salt Brownie Cake (Trader Joe's) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: Trader Joe's
Our idea: this little chocolate "bite" is so rich, you only need one to satisfy your craving for chocolate. The very rich dark chocolate is tempered by saltiness, although we wish for more saltiness.
Mini Brownie with Frosting No. 25 (Target) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: goals
Our thought: If the icing on this little chocolate cake should give it a good chance for the ghost, it failed. The bite-sized brownie is moist, but it has almost no chocolate flavor. The frosting is very sweet, but not excessively sugary. But this is where it ends.
No. 24 Cream Cheese Iced (Meijer) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: Meijer
Our thoughts: This chocolate cake is "firmer" than other chocolate cakes we have tried, but it is dry. The cream cheese icing has a pleasant cream cheese fragrance, but it tastes like pure sugar. The brownie tastes good, but not surprising. Just a "good"-not sure if it's worth the calories.
No. 23 Iced Brownie Bites (Walmart) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: Walmart
Our thoughts: Children will love this chocolate cake-but we are not sure if parents will be excited once the sugar craze starts. There is too much frosting. Although the chocolate cake is delicious, it is a bit lost with all the sweetness.
Fudge Brownie No. 22 (Walmart) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: Walmart
Our thoughts: the true definition of the term "basic". Chocolate cake is moist and soft, usually sweet, but unremarkable.
No. 21 Brownie Bites (Target) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: goals
Our thoughts: We like the internal texture, which is a nice surprise because it is moist and has a pleasant chocolate flavor. Outside is another story. It was dry and "crusty"-like the edges of a cake were cut off, left behind, and dried out.
No. 20 Cookies'N Crème Brownies (Meijer) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: Meijer
Our idea: The smooth buttercream icing and large pieces of sandwich biscuits make this brownie so delicious that you can eat two—and it's very reminiscent of Oreos with a double sandwich. The brownie itself is a bit "crunchy", not as sweet as its appearance suggests.
No. 19 Peanut Butter Brownie (Heinen's) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: Haiying's
Our thoughts: Brownies are very moist and chewy. We like the sweet peanut butter butter icing, but without it, this peanut butter brownie will not taste like peanut butter. The icing has a higher sugar content, a tough texture, and an artificial flavor. This is a very moist chocolate and chewy brownie. It’s not surprising that the recommended serving size on the label is 1/8 square, because you really need a sweet tooth to eat more.
Classic Brownie with Cream Cheese No. 18 (Giant Eagle) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: Giant Eagle
Our idea: The cream cheese frosting is not as rich and creamy as we want, but the smooth chocolate drizzle greatly enhances the taste of this cake-like brownie.
No. 17 Iced Fudge Brownie (Acme) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: Acme
Our thoughts: Fudgy-texture and taste-is the word for this word. The frosting is thick and slippery, and the chocolate cake is dry and chewy. The bitterness of cocoa is really reflected in this. If you like a high percentage of dark chocolate, you might like this one more than the other chocolates we have tried.
No. 16 German Chocolate Brownie (Acme) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: Acme
Our thought: Coconut really makes this frosting special. It is moist and chewy, and tastes fresh. Brownies also have a moist cake-like texture. The disadvantage is that the frosting is not evenly distributed on the chocolate cake in the package. Some are covered by a thick layer of viscous glaze, while other squares are almost not.
No. 15 Brownies (Heinen's) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: Haiying's
Our idea: The creamy chocolate frosting is covered on the cake, which is a bit dry. The thick icing and dry cake make this a bit difficult to swallow, so put a large glass of milk nearby.
No. 14 Ice Cream Cheese (Acme) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: Acme
Our thoughts: There is a weird dichotomy here: when opened, the chocolate cake smells more like coffee than chocolate, even though there is no coffee flavoring. The "cream cheese" frosting is light and fluffy, but it tastes more like sweet vanilla frosting. The brownie is moist, but it does not seem to be cooked. This is just confusing.
No. 13 Triple Chocolate Brownie (Walmart-Marketside) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: Walmart
Our thoughts: It is difficult to determine if this is a very moist brownie or a mousse-because it is so smooth that it melts in your mouth. Very moist, chocolate, creamy and sweet.
No. 12 Peanut Butter Iced Classic Brownie (Giant Eagle) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: Giant Eagle
Our idea: peanut butter fans will look for this chocolate cake. A thick layer of real peanut butter is spread on a layer of fudge frosting. Although we appreciate the nod to the candy bar, once you add a brownie that is as rich as a cake, it is a bit biased towards the rich side. But like we said, peanut butter fans will want this because PB is the star here.
No. 11 Turtle Brownie (Wal-Mart-Marketside) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: Walmart
Our idea: We like the rich caramel layer that sandwiches fudge and thick brownie sandwiches. Chopped nuts and caramel glaze add to the appeal.
Fudge Brownie No. 10 (Dave's) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: Dave's
Our thoughts: This brownie is the most basic-a moist cake-like treat with a thin layer of (we mean thin) fondant frosting. Nothing can overwhelm anything else. A solid dessert.
No. 9 Brownie Brookie (Trader Joe's) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: Trader Joe's
Our thoughts: Believe us-we know "Brookies". Although it is good, it is not the real Brookie. We like the "two sides" of desserts. The biscuits are crunchy and full of French fries. Damp brownies are very chewy. But biscuits tend to cover brownie cakes. What is the hint of (taste) in the background? We never really identified the Phantom Seasoning, but it was not unpleasant. All in all, this is a delicious treat.
No. 8 German Chocolate Brownie (Dave's) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: Dave's
Our idea: icing is the protagonist of this chocolate cake. We like the stickiness of nuts and coconuts. Nut slices are not small tidbits, but real chunks of nuts mixed with a lot of coconut in a sticky sweet bottom. The brownie is thick and chewy, and has a good texture, but it is definitely hidden by the toppings.
No. 7 Iced Peanut Butter Brownie (Acme) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: Acme
Our thought: If you are a fan of Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, then you will be a big fan of this chocolate cake. "Icing", if you can call it that, is actually peanut butter, so this chocolate cake is not as sweet as other chocolate cakes we have tried, but it is so rich and fudge, it balances the thick layer of nut butter . The brownie itself was a bit underbaked, but we didn't encounter any problems. The moisture of the unbaked cake makes it easier to swallow.
No. 6 Walnut Brownie (Dave's) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: Dave's
Our thoughts: Dave's obviously uses the same brownies and the same fudge frosting in all of their products, but we like to add walnuts for the old-fashioned flavor. Although we like the chopped walnuts on top, we do find ourselves wishing to sprinkle more walnuts on the whole brownie cake. The icing is thick, creamy and rich, and there are plenty of them. If you are not careful, you will make a mess, but it is worth it!
No. 5 Turtle Brownie (Meijer) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: Meijer
Our thoughts: We think this brownie has less nuts and caramel, so it is reasonable to call it a "turtle brownie". But it is the real favorite among those we have tried. We do like to add creamy caramel and salted nuts, but what we like is the richness of the chocolate cake. This one is too moist, it really melted on our tongue, the texture is slightly under-baked. Did we mention the dying dark chocolate fudge?
No. 4 Classic M & M Fudge Brownie (Giant Eagle) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: Giant Eagle
Our thoughts: the epitome of wealth! Moist chocolate cake with creamy chocolate frosting and chocolate candies. There are many places that chocolate lovers like. After you knock back this chocolate cake, you will even taste the aftertaste of chocolate-but this is a good way.
Peanut Butter Brownie No. 3 (Walmart-Marketside) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: Walmart
Our idea: the same Wal-Mart brownie, but sandwich style, plus a thick layer of peanut butter, which provides childhood "goodness that sticks to your mouth". You may want to drink a glass of milk nearby. The brownie itself is very rich, but the salty nut butter helps reduce the sweetness. There is only a hint of caramel in the nuts above, which greatly increases the texture and flavor.
No. 2 Cream Cheese Brownie (Dave's) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: Dave's
Our thoughts: Is there such a thing as "too rich"? We think it is not. This rich and fudge brownie provides just the right amount of sweetness. The cream cheese frosting is definitely the best we have tried. It has a pleasant creamy texture, a perfect combination of cheese and sweet vanilla. It is magnified by a thin layer of fudge frosting between the chocolate cake and the frosting layer.
No. 1 Brownie Bites (Walmart) (Photo: Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com)
Where did we buy it: Walmart
Our idea: a national classic, this chocolate cake proves that something should not be messed up. This one is basic-nothing extra, but no more needed-and it's really good. Old-fashioned brownie cakes are rich and chewy, and they are perfect for putting them in a lunch box or backpack, or adding to your game day buffet or party tray.
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