Brownies (non chocolate)

Brownies (non chocolate)

Inspired by:

Family Circle Children’s Cookbook Chocolate Brownies.

Why?

I am taking dessert to a friend’s house on the weekend, so am experimenting with ideas.

Time Taken: 

10 minutes preparation+15-20 minutes baking

Dirty Dishes:

Saucepan, wooden spoon, measuring cups, tray

I used:

200g dairy free margarine

2 cups brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence/powder

1 1/2 cups gluten free plain flour

2 eggs

What I did:

Preheat oven to 180C. 
Grease/line a 20cm x30cm tin. 
Over a very low heat, melt margarine in a saucepan, stirring with a wooden spoon. 
Once melted, add sugar and vanilla and mix well. 
Take off heat (turn off stove), add flour and stir until smooth. 
Then add eggs and beat well. 
Pour into tin and bake for 15-20mins (if you want them fudgy inside) or until the tester comes out clean (if you prefer them more cakey). 
Let them cool, then refrigerate, or eat warm.

Comments after eating Brownies!

Yum! Delicious and fudgy, without the chocolate taste!

What I would do different:

I’m going to try coffee flavor next!

Ants Microwave Brownie Recipe and the Brownie Bake off. . .

 Well some of you may already know this. . .

But my husband and I are quite competitive about our brownie recipes. We both believe ours is the best. So we decided to put it to some friends. Also thrown in the competition was Betty Crockers Gluten Free Brownie Mix. I’m not a fan of Packet mixes since I have begun to read labels and have realised the importance of knowing what goes in my food, but I thought it would be good competition.

So one fine Tuesday (it was a holiday) I set to baking. Once I had worked out the conversions on the back of the Betty Crocker packet I was ready to go.

Just add a bit less than 60g of melted butter and 2 eggs and 15 mins later the brownies are in the oven. 25mins later they were done. I only have to wash up one dish, so all in all- I’m pretty happy.

Now to my recipe, it also takes me 15 mins to prepare (but the other brownie is still baking so it just sits in the tray for it’s turn to bake). It also takes 25 mins to bake (although when I take it out I realise I should have taken it out at 20- its not gooey enough for my liking), and I only have to wash up one dish. All in all it’s pretty even.

Now it’s my husbands turn. His takes 15 mins to prepare too. Although I’m not sure if he’s going slower so I can watch, take notes and ask questions. It only takes 7 mins in the microwave though so that wins on preparation time easily. He used an extra bowl that he probably didn’t need to if he wanted to save on dishes, so the dish count is even at one a piece.

I’ll give you the recipe. . .and then to the tasting. . .

Ants Microwave Brownie Recipe

Inspired by:

An unknown cookbook in NZ at his mums

Why?

We were having a brownie bake off!

He used:

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

100g dairy free margarine (melted)

1 cup gluten free flour

¼ cup cocoa

1 tsp baking powder

What he did:

In a microwave proof dish, whisk together eggs, sugar and vanilla. 
Add melted dairy free margarine and stir through. 
Sift in gluten free flour, baking powder and cocoa, and mix well until combined. 
Microwave on high for 5-7 minutes.

Comments after eating Ants’ Microwave brownie!

It’s good, especially for being so quick and easy to make! Dangerously good!

Back to the competition:

So the packet mix was in an early lead, aided by the fact it was hard to tell the difference between mine and it, but in the end it was hampered by a poor after taste. 

It was delicious and squishy with lots of chocolate, but it’s overpowering sweetness and bad aftertaste lost it the title. Men in general (in all the tests we have done- small sample sizes though) prefer Ants brownie and it was the same that night. Pity there was only one man voting, and so my brownie came out victorious. Aided by the packet mix hampering it’s own campaign, and the fact that my brownie is sweet without adding chocolate, cakey without the cake and is supposed to be moist without too much goo, (am I rejoicing too hard here?) well perhaps I am over doing it.

All in all, all the brownies are good, and really it was our taste buds that won out that night.

See if you can pick which is which.

Happy Baking!

Chocolate Brownies

Chocolate Brownies

Inspired by:

Family Circle Children’s Cookbook.

Why?

These brownies were a 'best wishes for the future' present to a friend.

I used:

200g dairy free margarine (or 3/4 cup vegetable oil)

½ cup cocoa

2 cups brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence/powder

1 cup gluten free plain flour

2 eggs

What I did:

Preheat oven to 180C. 
Grease/line a 20cmx30cm long tin.
Over a very low heat melt margarine and cocoa in a saucepan, mixing with a wooden spoon. 
Once melted, add sugar and vanilla and mix well. 
Take off heat (turn off element), add flour and stir until smooth. 
Add eggs and beat well. 
Pour into tin and bake for 20mins (if you want them fudgy inside) or until the tester comes out clean (if you prefer them more cake like).
Let them cool, then refrigerate, or eat warm.

Comments after eating Chocolate Brownie!

I love this recipe. It’s my favourite brownie recipe of all time (so far). It’s so quick, so easy, hardly any dish washing and it is hard to get wrong (although I did burn the cocoa and margarine once at the beginning, when I was making them with a new oven and the result was not so tasty -so I’d advise against doing that). You can add nuts, or chocolate, or icing, or whatever else you think will taste nice. This is my celebration cake of choice. People ask me when I’m making some again. Try it and see!

Update: I have attempted to make these vegan! By adding 50g of dairy free chocolate, and 1 large banana to the mix instead of the eggs (add them last). It worked well, they are quite fudgy and probably don't need as much dairy free margerine/oil. The mixture takes longer to cook 30-40 mins, and will still be runny when it comes out of the oven. Once it has time to set/be refigerated, they are crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside- delicious. TIP- don't use self raising flour when doing vegan brownies!