Yesterday M and I were craving something sweet after a huge brunch at Lula Cafe. I'd been thinking about brownies for a while - haven't been able to have them because most are made with wheat flour. I wanted to find a recipe that didn't have a high percentage of flour so that any adaptations I would make wouldn't adversely affect the final product. I didn't want a flourless chocolate cake (chocolate decadence, what-have-you) because in general I find them too rich, with the exception of Marc Menaud of L'Esperance's gateau au chocolate recipe). And I most certainly did not want a low-fat, low flavor recipe favored by many websites and online recipe catalogs. After looking over several recipes, I found a recipe in Nick Malgieri's 1995 How to Bake, a book that I absolutely adore for its simple, easy-to-follow recipes and almost consistently perfect results. I wanted a recipe that would be chewy, not overly sweet, and deeply flavored.
I substituted tapioca flour for wheat flour in the recipe, and reduced the quantity by 25% in order to avoid unfavorable changes in texture. Tapioca flour promotes chewiness (vs cakiness), which is a quality I love in a brownie. I also added the liqueur/espresso, a flavor that I feel really adds to the depth of chocolate flavor.
The final results were fantastic. The brownies were everything I had hoped they would be. M and I managed to polish off a plate of still-warm brownies. The absence of flour didn't make a lick of difference.
Recipe (for a half-sheet pan, double this recipe):
Super Fudgy Patisserie-style Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownies
6 oz Unsalted Butter (1.5 sticks, 12 T, use the best you can find)
5 oz 71% Chocolate (Bittersweet, Amer, whatevah. Use da best)
3 Large Eggs, Room Temp (for bettah whipping, my friend)
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 Tablespoon coffee liqueur or espresso
1 C White Granulated Sugar
1/2 C Brown Sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon salt...preferably fleur de sel - love da flakes
3/4 C Tapioca Flour
1 C Walnuts (Optional)
1/2 C Chocolate Chips, Chocolate Chunks, what-have-you (optional)
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Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a pan 9 x 9 x 2 (or thereabouts) with parchment paper.
Cut butter and chocolate into small chunks. Place in a bowl and set over simmering water, stirring until melted. Set aside and allow to cool.
Meanwhile, in the bowl of a mixer (or in a bowl & hand mixer)combine sugars (sift if there are lumps in the brown sugar). Add salt, vanilla, and espresso or liqueur. Mix on medium until light.
With a rubber spatula, fold in chocolate/butter mixture in a steady stream. When mixed in, fold in tapioca flour, making sure there are no lumps. Fold in optional nuts and chips.
Pour into parchment-lined pan. Top with nuts/chocolate if desired.
Bake approximately 35-40 minutes (this depends on your oven). Do not use the toothpick test-- this is not a cakey recipe and you will not get a clean draw unless you overbake the brownies. Top should be shiny and cracked.
Allow to cook completely before cutting. You may when want to refrigerate until set. Cut, serve at room temperature.
