I’ve been baking all day, Monday through Friday, and whenever I can on the weekends. How many times should I make Blueberry Crumble Bars or Quinoa Carob Chip Cookies for a cookbook? Until I get them just right.
The recipe for a cookbook seems to be 3 parts cooking and 1 part writing, with lots of thinking in between. That’s the one very big singular thing that’s been going on lately.
And, then, once in a while I sneak in a different recipe just for fun. I know – most people would take a break from baking. Not me.
The Forgotten Recipe Brownies
I have a sort of obsession with brownies. About four months ago I made the perfect brownie. It was late. I was tired. And, in my fogginess I thought I’d write the recipe down later.
It’s not an unusual thing for me to do. Most of the time, I note changes as I go but quite often I get in a groove and don’t bother to stop until the food is in the oven.
Well, when the time came to write down what I did I couldn’t remember. A total blank.
I’ve tried relentlessly to recreate my perfect brownies. These are quite different from the Forgotten Recipe Brownies but they’re still darn good. And I made sure to write it down.
Out of the Oven
When I took them out of the oven I thought there was no way in the world they’d taste good. They just looked ‘wrong.’ But, after they cooled and sat for an hour to so I was taken by their earthy, slightly sticky, chewy texture.
Eat these for a snack, dessert, or even breakfast – they’re sweetened with nutrient dense dates and they’re fat free. I didn’t try to leave out the fat. It just happened.
What to do with leftovers? If you have any, layer these chocolaty treats with wax paper, wrap them up, and pop them in the freezer. No need to defrost – they freeze just solid enough so you can still bite into them.
Some other brownies recipes you might like…
- Fudgey Teff Brownies from Gluten-Free in SLC
- Avocado & Black Bean Brownies from Cara’s Cravings
- Triple Chocolate Fudgey Brownies from Flour Arrangements
- Egg Free, Grain Free Vegan Brownies from The Spunky Coconut
Update 9/15/10 – This post is linked to Real Food Wednesday.
Do you have a favorite brownies recipe? Tell me about it.
Chewy Chocolate Vegan Date Brownies
makes 16 brownies1 cup (175 g) pitted medjool dates
¾ cup hot water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons instant decaf coffee
½ cup cocoa powder
½ cup (57 g) garbanzo-garfava flour mix
¼ cup palm sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon xanthan gumPreheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly mist an 8×8 baking pan with cooking spray.
Put pitted dates, hot water, vanilla, and instant decaf coffee in a heat proof bowl. Let sit while you measure the remaining ingredients. Sift cocoa powder into a bowl to remove any lumps. Add gluten-free flour mix, palm sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt. Whisk to combine.
Place dates and soaking water into the bowl of a food processor
fitted with a steel blade. Process until smooth, scraping down as necessary. Add flour mixture to dates and process until smooth. Batter will be thick.
Turn into prepared pan, scraping as much batter as possible from bowl. Smooth top with a spatula and bake for 15 – 20 minutes until brownies are set. A toothpick won’t come out completely clean for these brownies. Let cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.
