The introduction of the brownie at the 1893 Columbian Exposition (Chicago, US) shifted the general perception of chocolate from a beverage or bar to an ingredient that is used to create more complex food items, replicating practices that had been in use since the Aztec and Mayan (mole perhaps being the most obvious example). The brownie was developed by a chef at the request of Mrs. Potter (Bertha) Palmer who wanted a mess-free chocolate snack for ladies. The addition of other ingredients prevented the chocolate from simply melting onto the gloves that were commonly worn by women at the time. This invention has led to the rapid growth in the creation of baked goods, desserts, and savory dishes that include chocolate as an ingredient. It is so common nowadays to have chocolate as an ingredient that it is nearly impossible to find a cookbook or restaurant menu that does not include at least one chocolate option (usually in the dessert section). The earliest brownie recipes to appear in cookbooks actually did not contain chocolate; however, the first recipes for brownies with chocolate as a main ingredient appeared in the Sears Roebuck Catalog in 1897 and in the Machias Cookbook, a community cookbook from 1899. As it became more common for chocolate to be used in baked goods and the creation of other such desserts, it started to appear with increasing regularity on menus. At the Columbian Exposition, there were many innovations in the chocolate world being displayed, including Maillard’s Exhibit of Fine Chocolates & Cocoa.