Monday 23 February 2015

World's Healthiest Brownies




HI!


So I didn't blog last week. This was partly because I spent my weekend just participating in life and thus did not photograph/write any posts.

But MOSTLY it's because on Valentine's Day the one thing I wanted most in this world was pizza delivered to my HOUSE. And all the gluten FREE options around me are...well...not so good. Either really bland, really dry, really really hard and crunchy in a bad way or a combination. SO I was like yeahhh Happy V-Day to meeee let's get some GLUTEN-FULL PIZZA.


Well first, it was insanely pillowy and delicious. It smelled and tasted like heaven on earth. HOWEVER my body very quickly became HELL on earth. The whole week my body and stomach were a hot mess.

So I just needed to heal my gut a little bit before I started waltzing around my baking palace all weekend like I usually do.

How did I get here? OH YEAH:


Brownies.


Not undiscovered territory to say the least. And certainly not a dessert that this little blog has forgotten.

I made Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies. Candy Cane Brownies. Pumpkin Patch Brownies. Raw Vegan Protein Brownies.


And I love all those recipes, of course. Or why would I have made them?!

But here is the thing. We need to reel it in. REEEEEL IT IN, FOLKS!

When I think of a brownie I think of a dense, fudgy and delicious bar of chocolate amazingness. Swirls and cheesecakes and all that is great. But I want a simple and dense brownie. I like cakey brownies, too. But come on...this is what we mean when we are talking about a real brownie:











In my test recipes I never included walnuts. But how could I not?! They are so classically suited to be nestled in a dense and delicious brownie.







These would go great with coconut whipped cream or a big scoop of non-dairy ice cream. Or dairy ice cream. Or frozen yogurt. OR chopped up and thrown over top of some protein soft serve?!?! Yes....yes I believe that would work!









Pictures aren't doing these precious beauties justice -- but I promise you they are DELISH.


They aren't too fragile so you can pack them with you places and they taste...well...Just make 'em. Make 'em and chomp on to your brownie lovin' hearts content.








These will stay good at room temperature for a few days, too. Or freeze them and have brownies whenever you want!













Do you see the exploding chocolate chips?!?! The best part!!!





World's Healthiest Brownies

Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Vegan

Yields 16 servings 

Ingredients:


  • 3/4 cup oat flour
  • 1/2 almond flour
  • 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup chopped walnuts 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
  • Ener-G Egg Replacer for 2 eggs (2 teaspoons egg replacer mixed with 4 tablespoons water) OR 2 large eggs, room temperature 
  • 1/2 cup yogurt of choice (greek or non-dairy), room temperature 
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted 
  • 1/4 cup dark chocolate, melted

*For ingredients that need to be melted, measure them in their solid form and then melt -- and for a SUPER smooth texture -- give all the dry ingredients (sugar, flour, cocoa) a blitz in a strong blender for the finest texture possible



Directions:


  1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease an 8x8 square pan then line it with parchment paper 
  2. In a large mixing bowl combine oat flour, almond flour, cocoa, salt, coconut sugar, chocolate chips and walnuts 
  3. In a medium sized mixing bowl add all the liquid ingredients and stir gently until combined
  4. Pour wet ingredients over dry and stir until you have a slightly runny batter -- then pour your batter into your pan tapping it gently so it's evenly spread
  5. Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean
  6. After cooling for 5 minutes lift the brownies out and allow to cool further outside of the pan on a wire rack for 15 - 20 minutes
  7. Cut into 16 and serve immediately -- keep uneaten portions in an airtight container for 2-3 days 




I have made these so many times before posting them. Fun fact...one time I forgot to add the melted chocolate and it still worked great!








And another time I forgot I had no eggs or egg equivalent. Luckily I found some Ener-G egg replacer. That test version was not as moist but still really good.












One time I took a bite because I figured I was done taking pictures...










But I guess I wasn't!!!!

I baked these into a heart shaped pan for Valentine's Day and covered them in chocolate ganache and sprinkles, chopped chocolate and other fun things.


THOSE WERE SO AMAZING.


Amazing in their own right but with the ganache?! Just insane. So good. And the ganache sealed everything in and kept them extra fudgy and moist.





So bake these into a heart. Serve them with soft serve or ice cream. Use them as a pillow for when you wake up and you think to yourself...man I am starving...OH WOW I FORGOT I HAD A BROWNIE PILLOW. Nom nom and off to dreamland for you, sleepy head.


My favourite way to eat them is with peanut butter. Because...well.......yeah. I can't help it? My mom has this thing ...whenever she eats something she always says it's missing 'something' but can't figure out what it is. Well, wouldn't you know...I have the very same problem!


But I am in recovery -- so for now...take these brownies of a token of my movement forward into accepting things for how they are and not slathering them with other things ALL the time.


One step at a time ;)


What is your favourite brownie?! Cakey? Fudgy? Covered in STUFF?!?!? Next recipe is a very close cousin to the brownie. ANY GUESSES?!


Happy Brownie Baking!


XO 

4 comments:

  1. Mmmm...these look so good and FUDGY!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Briana! Yes they are insanely fudgy! My favourite :D

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  2. This has been my secret recipe for some years now, which I use to amaze friends/relatives with some healthy delicious dessert!

































































































    ReplyDelete