Hot-To-Trot Brownies

prep: 20 minutes
bake: 30 minutes

you’ll need…
½ cup baking cocoa (like Ghirardelli, Scharffen Berger, Hershey’s)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon Xanthan gum
1¼ cups gluten-free flour
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
¾ cup melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

let’s get to it…
Move an oven rack to the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F. (If you are NOT using the Silpat non-stick baking pan, line a 9-by-9-inch pan with foil, with the ends of foil extending over the sides. Spray foil with cooking spray.)
Mix the cocoa, baking powder, Xanthan gum, gluten-free flour, cayenne pepper, cinnamon and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
Beat the eggs, sugar, melted butter and vanilla extract together in a large bowl until just smooth (don’t overbeat!).
Stir in the cocoa mixture and blend until evenly mixed.
Spread mixture evenly in pan.
Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. If using the Silpat non-stick baking pan, let rest in pan 30-minutes before turning over onto a cutting board. Otherwise cool completely and use foil handles to remove brownies from pan before cutting to serve.

The Best Brownies
prep: 20 minutes
cook: 25 minutes
serves: depends on how many swarm the kitchen when they smell the Brownies baking

you’ll need…
6 oz. good quality bittersweet chocolate
1 stick butter
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. baking powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

let’s get to it…

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line an 8 or 9-inch square pan with foil; butter and lightly sprinkle with flour. An 8 or 9-inch disposable aluminum pan also works well; butter and lightly sprinkle with flour.
Melt the chocolate and butter over low heat in a small, heavy bottom pan, stirring often; remove from heat and set aside.
Mix the salt, baking powder and flour in a medium bowl and set aside.
Beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla until light and airy in a separate bowl (an electric stand or hand mixer comes in handy), about 10 minutes.
Stir in the melted chocolate; gently fold in the flour mixture until just blended.
Pour batter into greased pan and distribute evenly.
Bake for 25 minutes; the center will be moist but not wet. Let cool an hour before serving (if possible).

9 servings
Nutrients per serving: Calories 267, Total Fat 16 g, Saturated Fat 10 g, Cholesterol 89 mg, Sodium 102 mg, Carbohydrates 27 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 4 g

12 servings
Nutrients per serving: Calories 200, Total Fat 12 g, Saturated Fat 7.5 g, Cholesterol 67 mg, Sodium 77 mg, Carbohydrates 20 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 3 g

cooking know how…
Cooking with chocolate can be intimidating… but it doesn’t have to be. Here are a few tips:
• Use small pieces about the same size when melting chocolate… it will go faster!
• Keep water AWAY from the chocolate… it will seize (which means it will get hard and be difficult to work with). If this happens, add a little vegetable oil and stir until it becomes loose again.
• If you don’t have a double boiler to heat the chocolate, just remember to heat the chocolate slowly on low heat… and stir it often!