Isolation Brownies
Sometimes you just want a brownie. Am I right? Sometimes, like around now?
Brownies are the ultimate dessert comfort food as far as I’m concerned. I love cake and cupcakes and ice cream as much as the next person but to me, nothing beats a brownie for pure, unadulterated, take-me-away-from-it-all indulgence. With everything going on with the coronavirus, I have noticed the word “brownie” popping up in my social media feed as well as just my ordinary life all the time. And I’ve had an absolutely mad craving. In analyzing it all, it’s not too shocking to be craving a brownie right now, but I think that what brownies mean to me is my mom, no longer with us. My mom made no secret of the fact that she was not much into the culinary arts but she had a sweet tooth and was not afraid of indulging it. Her brownies were almost certainly out of a box (Duncan Hines in a red box rings a bell) and I am not judging that: they were damn good brownies. That was what I was trying to recreate here - straightforward, moist, densely chocolatey, perfect brownies (not chocolate cake -- brownies!) that are not angling for a healthy halo. (If you do want brownies with a more nutritious profile, I’ve got you covered.) But it would make sense that with all the turbulence of life, I’d be missing my mom and craving brownies.
A couple of notes: If you don’t need to avoid gluten, feel free to use the flour of your choice, I just can’t promise it will act like the one I recommend, or that you won’t need to adjust liquids or cooking time and temperature. Second, if you are a mocha fan - I do not have the coffee appreciation gene! - try subbing cold, strong coffee for the chocolate milk.
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
3 tablespoons aquafaba
1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour blend (This is the one I recommend)
¼ cup almond flour
½ cup slavery-free vegan cocoa powder
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup turbinado or other vegan sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup melted vegan butter
½ cup slavery-free vegan chocolate milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup slavery-free vegan chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a square baking pan with parchment paper.
Mix together the flaxseed and aquafaba; allow to gel for 15 minutes in the refrigerator.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flours, cocoa powder, sugars, baking powder, baking soda and salt until combined. Pour in the flax mixture, vegan butter, vegan milk (or coffee if that is your preference) and vanilla. Stir until nearly combined, then add the chocolate chips, mixing with a spoon until everything is combined. Scoop into the prepared pan, and flatten the top with the bottom of the spoon.
Bake for 25 minutes; turn 180 degrees and bake 25 minutes more. Allow to cool and slice.
Sweet, Sweets, Dessert, Treat, Chocolate, Brownie, Bake, Chocolate