Bittersweet Brownies

I shared my GF-DF brownie recipe (here) several weeks ago. Still love those! I tried a variation and was pleasantly surprised by the result, so here are some brownie thoughts and the recipe variation for your chocolate benefit. 🙂

BROWNIE THOUGHT #1:  I wanted to try buckwheat flour in place of the sorghum because I had a bunch of it on hand and am currently low on sorghum. I was curious to see if chocolate could mask buckwheat’s strong flavor, and it does! This is good to know and allows you to save neutral flours (brown rice, sorghum) for recipes where the flavor is more exposed (biscuits, breads, or more delicate desserts, such as vanilla-flavored cakes or cookies). The neutral flours work in brownies, too, but having options is a plus!

BROWNIE THOUGHT #2:  When measuring the flour, I measured the cornstarch first (1/2 cup) and dumped it into the mixing bowl.  Then I put a little more cornstarch in the same measuring cup and topped it off with the buckwheat (to create my second 1/2 cup).  Basically, I was just trying to get closer to the 40/60 ratio that has worked so well in my GF baking.  (I explain the ratio and the source from where I learned it here.)

BROWNIE THOUGHT #3:  Tonight I halved the sugar of my original recipe (on purpose) and forgot to add the vanilla extract (oops).  But the baked result was a bittersweet chocolate brownie!  Happy Oops! A nice butter vanilla frosting/drizzle or dusting of powdered sugar might complement them well, but we enjoyed them plain, too.

BROWNIE THOUGHT #4:  Reducing the sugar did change the texture somewhat compared to my regular GF-DF brownies, which I find to be much like the texture of traditional store-bought brownie mixes. These bittersweet brownies have a little more density and a wonderful rich feel. In a word, YUM!

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE BROWNIES (GF, DF)

Dry ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup GF flour combination (I used cornstarch and buckwheat; can be substituted, see below)
3/4 cup cocoa
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder3/4 tsp xanthan gum
dash cinnamon (opt.)

Wet ingredients:
3 eggs (or 3/4 cup egg white)3/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients. For flour, using a 1/2 cup measuring cup, measure first 1/2 cup starchy flour; pour in mixing bowl; then spoon a little more of the starchy flour into the same measuring cup and top it off with the whole grain flour. This gives you 1 cup of approximately 60% starchy flour and 40% whole grain flour.  Finally, add wet ingredients to the dry and combine.

Bake in a greased 9″ x 13″ dish for 35 mins.  I did a toothpick test about 2 inches from the edge.

Brownies!! (GF, DF)

Gluten-free, dairy-free brownies! These are an adaptation of the recipe Lindsay shared here: http://makelyhome.com/the-best-brownies-you-will-ever-eat/. I’ve made these for social gatherings, and people have enjoyed them. To me, they taste very close to traditional wheat-based brownies made from box mixes, though I have never done a side-by-side test. According to my husband, “No one would ever know these are not made with wheat.” That’s my favorite feedback!

GLUTEN-FREE, DAIRY-FREE BROWNIES

Dry ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup cocoa
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp xanthan gum
dash cinnamon (opt.)

Wet ingredients:
3 eggs (or 3/4 cup egg white)
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix.

Bake in a greased 9″ x 13″ dish for 35-45 mins.

I did a toothpick test about 2 inches from the edge. Texture may appear undone, but when brownies cool, they will be more like normal brownies. Overbaking will cause the outer edges to be hard.