OK, it’s time to pat yourself on the back: You (hopefully) survived tax season! Now you deserve a reward?these wickedly decadent chocolate brownies. They are scrumptious “straight-up” (plain, as in the photo) or topped with your favorite frosting. At our house, that would be a dark fudge frosting.
But since we’re feeling especially decadent after surviving tax season, why not turn these brownies into Rocky Road Brownies (see Carol’s Kitchen Notes below). Enjoy!
Carol Fenster’s Chocolate Brownies
Reprinted with permission from Gluten-Free 101: Easy, Basic Dishes without Wheat, by Carol Fenster (Savory Palate, 2010)
1 cup Carol’s Sorghum Blend (see below)
½ cup unsweetened natural cocoa (not Dutch or alkali)
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
¼ cup butter or buttery spread, melted and cooled
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup warm (110°F) water
[1] Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease 8-inch square nonstick pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour blend, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum until well blended.
[2] In large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugars with electric mixer on Low speed until well combined. Add egg and vanilla; beat until thoroughly combined.
[3] With mixer on Low speed, add dry ingredients and warm water. Mix until just blended. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
[4] Bake 20 minutes. Cool brownies before cutting. Makes 16 bars.
Carol’s Kitchen Notes
[1] To cut the brownies more easily, line the pan with foil or parchment paper, creating a 2-inch overhang on all sides. When cooled, gently lift the brownies…using the overhangs as handles. Place on a cutting board to cut. (It is much easier to get clean-cut squares this way, rather than cutting them in the pan.)
[2] For Rocky Road Brownies, bake 15 minutes. Then remove the brownies from the oven and sprinkle evenly with 1 cup miniature marshmallows, 1/2 cup chopped pecans, and 1/2 cup chocolate chips (avoid grain-sweetened types; they could contain barley). Bake 5 minutes more or until marshmallows and chips melt slightly. Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting. Try to resist eating the whole batch at once!
[3] If you want fudgy bars, limit the total baking time to 20 minutes. The brownies should look slightly underdone in the center when you take them out of the oven. They will continue to cook due to residual heat. If you want them drier and more cake-like, then bake another 3 to 5 minutes.
[4] To offset any possible guilt about eating such a wickedly indulgent dessert, hide nutritious ingredients such as pureed beans, flaxmeal, or replace some of the flour blend with bean flours or ancient grain flours such as amaranth, quinoa, or teff. I call this “stealth” baking and it works if you start out with only ¼ cup the first time you try it. If you like the result, try ½ cup next time (but you may need a little extra liquid because whole grains soak up more liquid). I have made Chocolate Brownies with black bean flour and they are both good and good for you. See Pulses in the Gluten-Free Diet at http://www.pulsecanada.com/pulses-and-the-gluten-free-diet
Carol’s Sorghum Blend
1 1/2 cups sorghum flour
1 1/2 cups potato starch
1 cup tapioca starch/flour
Whisk ingredients together until well-blended and store (tightly covered) in a dark, dry place.