Vegan Chocolate: Very Fudgy Chocolate Chip Brownies

Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy-Free Desserts

by the “queen of vegan desserts”, Fran Costigan, offers recipes for chocolate cakes, brownies, truffles, puddings, ice creams, and more that will appeal to every chocoholic — vegan or otherwise. And while committed vegans already know it can be difficult to find truly indulgent desserts that accommodate their diets, this breakthrough book will delight them and unite everyone and anyone who madly, deeply and truly loves chocolate.

Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious
and Decadent Dairy-Free Desserts

Print Vegan Chocolate: Very Fudgy Chocolate Chip Brownies

Yield: One (8 x-8-inch / 20 x 20-cm) square pan

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon / 73 grams organic all-purple flour
• 1/2 cup / 70 grams organic whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup / 58 grams Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup minus 1 tablespoon / 98 grams organic granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup / 38 grams organic whole cane sugar, ground in a blender until powdered
• 2 tablespoons / 12 grams arrowroot or organic cornstarch (14 grams)
• 1 teaspoon / 5 grams aluminum-free baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons / 90 ml mild tasting extra-virgin olive oil or organic neutral vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup / 120 ml pure maple syrup, Grade B or dark amber
• 1/4 cup / 60 ml any nondairy milk
• 2 teaspoons / 10 ml pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon chocolate extract (optional)
• Heaping 1/2 cup / 85 grams vegan chocolate chips or mini chunks
• 1/3 cup / 43 grams lightly toasted walnuts or mixed nuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

Preparation

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F/ 180°C. Oil an 8 x 8-inch / 20 x 20-cm square pan and then line the bottom with parchment paper. Do not oil the paper.
2. Place a wire mesh stainer over a medium bowl. Add the all-purpose flour, pastry flour, cocoa, granulated sugar, whole can sugar, arrowroot or cornstarch, baking powder, and salt to the strainer and stir with a whisk to sift the ingredients into the bowl. (If any small bits remain in the strainer, add them to the mixture in the bowl.) Whisk to aerate the mixture.
3. Whisk the oil, maple syrup, nondairy milk, vanilla and chocolate extract, if using, in a separate medium bowl until completely combined. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix with a silicone spatula until the batter, which will be thick, is smooth. Allow the batter to rest for ten minutes.
4. Stir the chocolate chips and nuts, if using, into the batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, and spread into an even layer with a metal spatula.
5. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts, if using, into the batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, and spread into an even layer with a metal spatula.
6. Bake for 23 minutes until the top is set and dry and the sides have pulled just slightly away from the pan.
7. Remove the pan from the oven and set on a cooling rack. Immediately insert a wooden tester diagonally into the brownies. The tester will be coated with batter, but not wet. If necessary, bake for another minute.
8. Cool to room temperature. The middle of the cake will sink as it cools; don't worry. Once cold, you can push the sides down to level the cake if you like. Refrigerate until very cold before cutting into squares.

Notes

Recipe reprinted by permission from 'Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy-Free Desserts'

by Fran Costigan. Photographs by Kate Lewis. Published by Running Press, A Member of the Perseus Books Group.

Note: If using coconut oil as the fat, make sure the other ingredients are at room temperature, or the oil will harden into clumps during mixing.

Keeping: Refrigerate the brownies in a covered container, in layers separated by parchment, for up to three days, or freeze for up to one month. Defrost unwrapped or eat straight out of the freezer.

Tips: Make a Blow Them Away Brownie Sundae (page 206, Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy-Free Desserts

), or just dip into some of the Thick Fudge Sauce (page 277, Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy-Free Desserts

).

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thoughts

These Fudgy Chocolate Chip Brownies are perfect yummy small bites and they lasted for a few days in a cold kitchen (no refrigeration needed since it’s winter time). They are indeed fudgy, soft, rich, and delicious with the chocolate chunks and have a bit of crunch from walnuts. This is the best vegan brownie recipe I have tried – so good that even someone like myself who normally avoids brownies couldn’t put them down. Hands down! For the organic whole cane sugar ingredient, I used Demerara Cane Rough Cut Sugar Cubes and used a mortar and pestle to grind them instead of a blender. For the optional chocolate extract ingredient, I used the brand Flavorganics Chocolate Extract

; it’s gluten-free, gmo-free and organic. I used less chocolate mini chunks (about 56 grams) and walnuts (about 30 grams) than the recipe called for and the brownies were just perfect for me. I used Trader Joe’s Fair Trade Organic 72% Belgian Dark Chocolate Bar

for the vegan mini chocolate chunks and chopped them finely using a Chef’s knife. If you don’t mind having loads of chocolate and walnuts in your brownies, just follow the accurate measurements on the original recipe above.

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Giveaway

Running Press has been so kind enough to host a giveaway for one copy of Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy-Free Desserts to one of my amazing readers. This giveaway is open to US residents only and will run until Thursday, March 6th, 2014 at 12:59pm PST. Please use the box in the end of the post to enter the giveaway. Click here to enter the giveaway!