Chewy Brownies

Yield: about 16-20 brownies
Recipe: 67/200
“Back to Baking”, pp. 291

    Some people are not as fortunate as others and are gluten-intolerant or even allergic. This makes me sad. Just to think of all the desserts that I could not eat and that I would have to miss out on makes me realize how very difficult it must be. Not only that, but gluten is in a plethora of foods: breads, muffins, pizza, pies, beer, and the list goes on. What made me grasp how much gluten is present is that whenever I bring baked goods to work, which is pretty often, a friend of mine who is gluten-intolerant can never eat anything I make. So while everyone is enjoying dessert and licking their fingers, she can only look at it from afar. I always feel bad when I realize that she can’t have what I made (because I tend to forget) and I always told her that I would make her something one day.This dessert was for her.

Ingredients:

• 1  1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups cocoa powder, sifted
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup walnut pieces

    At first she was a bit disappointed because she thought they were normal brownies and that she couldn’t have any, but to see her excitement when she came to realize that they were gluten-free gave me a very happy feeling. She simply loved them and ate a couple (I’ll never say how many!), and everyone else loved them too! They were a bit skeptic when they saw they these chewy brownies were without gluten, but they all admitted their surprise at the delicious taste. These brownies are chewy, moist, chocolatey and nutty at the same time. You may not even notice that they are gluten-free! Plus, I also like that they are dairy-free as well! So if ever you have a friend or a colleague that is gluten-intolerant, try this simple recipe and you will make a new friend, that much is certain.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line an 8-inch square pan with parchment so that the paper comes up the sides of the pan.
2. With a hand or stand mixer, stir together the sugar, cocoa and vegetable oil until combined.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until the mixture is homogenous.
4. Stir in the rice flour, cornstarch and salt until well incorporated.
5. Add in the walnut pieces and mix until just combined.
6. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
7. Bake the brownies for about 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean and the top loses its shine. Cool the brownies to room temperature before slicing.

Valerie