Gluten Free Pick-Me-Up Brownies (No Gum or Added Starch)

Need a pick me up and a fudgy chocolate fix? A celebrity chef used to sell 1,000 of a similar gluten brownie each week. Why? Because they are fudgy, the coffee it contains not only provides a boost but enhances the chocolate flavor, and they are packed with walnuts and chocolate chips. These gluten free pick me up brownies are no different and also have a dense texture typical of fudge. They do, however, differ from most gluten free brownies because they do not contain gum or added starch such as tapioca, potato, corn, or arrowroot. Maybe you’ll decide to sell them too!

By the way, that famous chef is Food Network star, Ina Garten. She used to sell a gluten version in her specialty food shop, The Barefoot Contessa, in The Hamptons. However, it closed about four years ago. Not a biggy for us, as her brownies weren’t gluten free!

She suggests rapping the pan on the oven’s rack mid-baking to remove the air that is between the batter and the pan. I did so. However, I found my brownies were rising well above the pan, in the center, which would have created a cake-like texture. (I had halved her recipe.) So, I kept rapping them on the oven’s rack, even after the midway rap. I wanted to create that fudgy texture that she spoke about. So, if you prefer, just reduce the baking powder to half the amount and skip the rapping. Or…if you prefer a cake-like/regular brownie texture, use a little larger pan and omit the rapping.

Gluten Free Pick-Me-Up Fudgy Brownies (No Gum or Added Starch)

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours, 55 minutes

Yield: Makes twelve 2-3/4-inch square brownies

Gluten Free Pick-Me-Up Fudgy Brownies (No Gum or Added Starch)

Take one bite of these gluten free pick me up brownies and you know they contain coffee. However, they do more than pick you up. They lift your spirits. They're chewy, fudgy, and delicious!

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 pound unsalted butter*, plus 1/2 tablespoon for pan
  • 1/2 tablespoon gluten-free cocoa powder, for dusting
  • 17 ounces semi-sweet gluten-free chocolate chips (Nestle's) (2-3/4 cup) (or Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips for allergen-free)
  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 3 extra-large eggs (2/3 cup) (or 1/2 cup liquid from can of cannellini beans for egg-free)
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons gluten-free instant coffee granules (Nescafe)
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons Ryze Gluten Free Flour (or half and half white and brown rice flour)
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder
  • 1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)
  • 6 ounces gluten free semi-sweet chocolate chips (Enjoy Life Mini Choc. Chips for allergen-free)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ÂșF.
  2. Butter and dust a baking pan that is approximately 13 x 10 x 1-inch (or a little larger) with cocoa powder.
  3. In a double boiler or heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of hot simmering water, melt together the butter and 19 ounces of chocolate chips; stir only once most is melted; allow to cool some.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, instant coffee, vanilla, and salt.
  5. Using a wooden spoon, stir the warm chocolate-butter mixture into the egg mixture; set aside.
  6. Sift the flour and baking powder on top of the chocolate batter; prior to mixing, add the nuts and chocolate chips on top of the dry ingredients. Stir together using a silicone baking spatula or wooden spoon.
  7. Distribute the batter evenly in the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.
  8. Pick up the baking sheet over the oven rack and allow it to fall so that it will even out the batter and pop some of the bubbles that cause the batter to rise. Continue to bake for an additional 15 minutes, allowing the pan to slam against the oven rack to flatten the batter each tune it rises in the center. (I did this 3 - 4 times. It will all depend on how many bubbles you create while whisking the batter together.)
  9. Remove the brownies from the oven and transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool prior to cutting, about 2 hours.
  10. Cut the brownies into 12 large squares.

Tips

For dairy-free, use for coconut oil instead of butter. You can also try half Earth Balance Baking Sticks and half Earth Balance Buttery Spread.

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