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Chocolate Brownies (gluten free!)

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I’ve been a big believer in Duncan Hines Fudge Brownie mix for a long time.  I took them to work events and everybody loved them.  But that was before I made these homemade brownies.  Nobody would ever know they’re gluten free.  They’re moist and rich, fudgy and absolutely perfect.  These brownies were a great ending to our Easter BBQ.  

Depending on your tastes and how full you are, you can have one plain, with ice cream, with chocolate or caramel sauce, a big piece or a little piece, warm, cold or room temperature.  Brownies are a great versatile dessert.  I even froze the leftovers for another recipe coming soon.  You’ll want to make these for your next gathering, especially if you have chocolate lovers on the guest list.

We still had a few walnuts left over from Christmas.  They tasted fine so I shelled them and toasted the nuts for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees.  You’ll need about one cup of nuts.  Leave a few nuts whole for a garnish and rough chop the rest.

Melt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter in a medium mixing bowl at 50% power in the microwave.  Add 8 ounces good quality, chopped semi-sweet chocolate (not chips) to the melted butter and stir.  Microwave according to the chocolate melting instructions.  I used two 4-ounce Ghirardelli’s Semi-Sweet chocolate bars.  Melt at 50% power in the microwave for 1 minute.  Stir and microwave again at 50% power for 15 seconds if needed.  Stir.  When there are just a few lumps left, keep stirring until all chocolate pieces are melted.  Stir in the salt.

I love working with this chocolate and have never been disappointed with Ghirardelli.

Whisk in the sugar until blended.  Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition.

In a small bowl, combine unsweetened cocoa powder, corn starch and almond flour.  Sift the cocoa mixture over the chocolate and blend well.  Whisk the batter vigorously for at least one minute or until the batter is smooth and no longer grainy.

Fold in the toasted walnuts and the milk chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into an 8 x 8 inch baking pan lined with foil or parchment paper.  Make sure the foil or paper goes up the sides to the edge of the pan.  Spray the foil with Pam or lightly butter.  I made two pans of brownies and tried the foil on one and parchment paper on another.  I prefer the parchment paper myself and you don’t need to spray or butter the pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 28 – 30 minutes.

Do not over bake.  Test for doneness by checking the center to see if the brownies feel set.  Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan before removing or slicing.

What a special fudgy treat!  Love the toasted crunchy walnuts too.

Send a few home with your guests – they’ll love you for it!
Chocolate Brownies (Gluten Free)
(adapted from a recipe by David Lebovitz)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
8 ounces good quality semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (like Ghirardelli)
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup almond flour
1/4 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a medium mixing bowl, melt the butter in the microwave on 50% power for 1 minute.  Stir until butter is melted or heat again for 15 seconds at 50% power.  Add the chopped chocolate (not chips) and microwave again at 50% power for 1 minute.  Stir until the chocolate and butter are well blended.  If a few lumps of chocolate remain, heat another 15 seconds at 50% power.  Allow the chocolate to sit for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth.

Add the sea salt and blend.  Pour in the sugar and whisk until incorporated.  Add the eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition.  In a small bowl combine the cocoa powder, corn starch and almond flour.  Sift the cocoa mixture over the batter.  Whisk vigorously until the batter is smooth and no longer grainy, about 1 minute. 

Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips.  Pour the batter into an 8×8 inch baking pan lined with parchment paper or foil.  If using foil, spray with non-stick cooking spray or lightly butter.  Make sure the paper or foil goes up the sides of the pan to the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 28-30 minutes or until the center is set.  Do not over bake.  Cool completely in the pan before removing or cutting.  Serve with ice cream if desired.

Note:  David’s original recipe called for 3 tablespoons corn starch and no almond flour.  I actually made one batch using all corn starch and one recipe as listed above.  Personally I preferred my version.  It was still very moist and fudgy and held together well without crumbling.  It was not cake-like, just a little less fudge-like if that makes sense. 

Either way – they are terrific.

~~~~~~~~~~

Hope everybody had a blessed Easter.  We had a wonderful time with our children and their families.  We ended up having as many dogs as people so all the pups had a big day.  I got to hold my favorite little boy Isaac while he enjoyed his first Easter.  What a blessing!

My little grandbunny 🙂
He’s already two months old!
Time flies faster, and faster, the older I get 🙂

Such a sweet baby boy!  He sure loves his mommy.
Have a great week!  Thanks so much for stopping by!
Tricia

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10 Comments

  1. Teresa

    Made these today. Great taste and no “funky texture” I associate with gluten-free. But the crumbled terribly. Any thoughts on why? I followed recipe exactly.

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      Hi Teresa! Thanks so much for commenting. I don’t remember having any problems with these brownies regarding crumbling. As you can see in the photos they are more on the fudgy side. I will retest these this winter and let you know if I have any problems. Maybe the quality of the chocolate could be a factor – just not sure. Humidity can always change a recipe – are you in a dryer climate? Thanks!

      Reply

  3. Mary

    Isaac is adorable! What a precious gift for Easter this year. 🙂 <br /><br />Your brownies look perfect! Did they hold up well? I've made a couple of almond flour varieties that tasted great, but they were SO soft! I wonder how much of a difference the cornstarch made? I think I'll try this combination next time. Thanks!

    Reply

  7. Tanna at The Brick Street Bungalow

    Oh, my goodness, Tricia!! Isaac is just too precious. What a smile!! Lights the whole room, I'm sure! Precious. <br /><br />These brownies sound so yummy. It is amazing how toasting nuts makes them taste so much better (and I like them BEFORE alot!). <br /><br />Hope you have a wonderful week. blessings ~ tanna

    Reply