“So much chocolatey goodness” – Times Leader

“Wow! Is this homemade?” exclaimed editor and taste tester Liz Baumeister after trying a brownie from the Times Leader Test Kitchen for the first time.

“Yes,” I said. “They are not crossbred.”

“They’re delicious,” she enthuses. “So much chocolatey goodness.”

I told him how a reader, who had run into me last week while I was working at the St. Nicholas-St. Mary Parish Flea Market, had suggested that I make brownies. And it seemed like a wonderful idea.

After my struggles with gnocchi last week, why not make something simple? Like a brownie?

So I made a batch from scratch on Tuesday morning and, once cooled, brought them to the newsroom.

Columnist Bill O’Boyle agreed to a sample, “provided they were nut-free,” which they weren’t. He gave the brownies the thumbs up, even though he’s “not a brownie fan.”

As for the page creator Ashley Bringmann, she said that the taste was good, although she would have preferred something more melting. I think you could get that quality by using less flour relative to the amount of fat and cocoa.

Back home, Mark thought about his first bite of brownie for a while before giving his verdict. “Did you use regular flour?” he asked.

“No,” I admitted.

“You used whole wheat,” he said. “I can taste it.”

“It’s still good,” he said.

The recipe comes from a website called Love and Lemons, and the flour substitution was my own idea to “make it healthier.”

Brownies (from scratch)

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted if lumpy

1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 large eggs

1/2 cup canola oil or extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons of water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Lightly spray an 8×8-inch baking dish (not a 9×9-inch dish, or your brownies will overcook) with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine sugar, flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, chocolate chips and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, water and vanilla.

Sprinkle the dry mixture over the wet mixture and stir until well combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan (it will be thick, that’s okay) and use a spatula to smooth the top. Bake for 40 to 48 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the pan comes out with just a few crumbs attached (note: it’s better to take the brownies out early than to leave them in too long). Let cool completely before slicing. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. These brownies also freeze well.

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *