The Avid Bakers are getting their challenges from Scientifically Sweet a beautiful baking blog by Christina Marsigliese. This is my second bake from her recipes, while I was disappointed with the lemon loaf, I was very hesitant to try this recipe not only because of my first failed attempt but because this recipe although it has no butter it has a ridiculous amount of sugar! I was intrigued because these brownies are made with almond flour so they are gluten free but the 2 cups of confectioners sugar really turned me off. Well, I love brownies so I thought that I would give it a shot. I really thought that I would add less sugar
but I decided to follow the recipe as written.
but I decided to follow the recipe as written.
Yes, these brownies did turn out very dense and fudgy which I liked. I even liked the little bits of almonds throughout the brownies from the almond flour, but I should have followed my instinct...these are way too sweet!
I won't be making these again. I wasn't as disappointed with this recipe as I was with the lemon loaf but there was way too much sugar and I missed the butter. Sorry...nothing can beat Ina Garten's Outrageous Brownies.
I will try the next recipe...Brown Butter Banana Bread. Sounds delicious.
We will see!
Until then
Be sweet and
Enjoy!
Fudgy No-Butter Brownies (gluten-free, dairy-free)
Scientifically Sweet
Makes 16 brownies
2 cups (300 g) icing/confectioner’s sugar
2/3 cup (56 g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
200 g (about 2 cups) ground almonds/almond meal
½ tsp salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg white
2 tbsp water
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
5 oz (about 2/3 cup) best quality dark chocolate chips or chopped bittersweet chocolate, plus extra for topping
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper, letting it hang over the edges of pan.
Sift icing sugar and cocoa into a large mixing bowl. Add almond meal and salt and stir to combine. Add whole eggs, egg white, water and vanilla extract and stir until smooth. The batter will be thick. Stir through bittersweet chocolate.
Scrape batter into your prepared pan, smooth the top and scatter extra chocolate over top. Bake until a shiny crust forms and a skewer inserted into the center comes out with a few moist sticky bits, about 25-30 minutes.
Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool slightly. For neat slices, let cool completely before slicing.
I cut the sugar in half and they were good that way, although on the semi-sweet side.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, butter makes brownies better. :) I crave the richness more than the sweetness.
ReplyDeleteIna's brownies are out of this world! And yes, way too much sugar... maybe next time only 1 1/2 cups instead? I'll have to try it that way.
ReplyDeleteOoooh! I need to try Ina's brownies!!
ReplyDeleteInteresting - this recipe seems to create the Great Divide among us ABC bakers - I usually and almost automatically reduce the sugar in all recipes, because I hate too much sugar, but didn't find them too sweet.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear these weren't a hit. They look lovely though. Very chocolate-y. I loved these.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear these weren't a hit. They look lovely though. Very chocolate-y. I loved these.
ReplyDelete