On the European brownie

Reader and professional pastry maker Evan offers this:

With regards to Gerhard’s question. I have lived and worked in France in French restaurants. I can tell you that American brownies are to some extent fashionable there right now. You wouldn’t find them for sale very often in patiseries–though I have seen it–but low to mid-range restaurants often serve them with ice cream for dessert. They’re popular because they’re cheap and easy for the cooks who might treat dessert as an after-thought. And they bear a great resemblance to the fondant cake you mentioned.

Fashionable you say? Who’d have thunk it?