Chocolate Brownies (gluten-free, no added fat)

You know those desserts that leave you speechless with their exquisite taste? The ones that are so decadent and addictive you find yourself sneaking into the kitchen for just one more bite, promising it would be the last? These chocolate brownies are that good! By the time I finished taking all the pictures I had already eaten a quarter of the brownies and that was just dinner, the dessert came later;) Author's advice: don't cut the brownie before having your meal, it's dangerously tempting and once you start eating you can't stop at one piece.

There is a special ingredient that helps keep these beauties moist and fudgy: butternut squash. I had some leftover purée after making butternut squash hummus and what better way to use it up than to make brownies? Now, the brownies themselves are great on their own, but what really takes them to that level of ultimate delight is the chocolate ganache. You wouldn't expect it to be so, considering how simple it is, but truly these brownies would be incomplete without it.

Michelle at Peachy Palate has a simple recipe for Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin and Walnut Brownies that I liked and used for inspiration. With my brownies I just wanted more moisture, so I played with the ingredients a bit to achieve that. I also wanted taller brownies to pack more chocolate into each bite, so I used a smaller pan for baking. Michelle's recipe uses spelt flour, but as I didn't have any I used brown rice flour instead.

In the first batch I added raisins and almonds (scroll down for details and photos) and while I greatly enjoyed the crunch and nuttiness I wasn't getting that full-on chocolate flavour, so I made the brownies again, simple this time. I absolutely loved how they came out. The squash combines well with chocolate and adds an earthy flavour to the brownies. The taste and texture of the two layers are wonderfully balanced and I'm glad I didn't make them thin. Although they look rather big in the close-up photos, they're about 3 cm tall.

The brownies are intensely chocolaty, moist, fudgy and not overly sweet or sticky. They are also light and delicate, compared to the gluten/butter/cream/egg version. I couldn't decide which photos were the best to share, so I've posted quite a few, hoping they will entice you into trying this great recipe:)

Chocolate Brownies (adapted from Peachy Palate's recipe, see link above)

Dry Ingredients

• 1 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp gluten-free baking powder (aluminum-free)

Wet Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups butternut squash purée
• 1/3 cup applesauce (Bramley applesauce has a sharp edge that I like)
• 1 flax egg
• 1/2 cup agave nectar

Note: the measuring cups I use are 250 ml (1 cup), 125 ml (1/2 cup), 80 ml (1/3 cup) and 60 ml (1/4 cup).

Prepare the butternut squash purée

Wash and cut in half a medium squash, then scoop out the seeds. Place the halves cut side down in a pan with a little water (about 1 cm). Bake in the preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for 30-40 minutes until the skin is soft. The time will also depend on your oven. I didn't want the purée to be too soft and watery so I baked the squash until the seed part was soft and the other part tender. Carefully remove the squash from the pan and place it on a plate cut side up. When it's cool enough to handle scoop out the flesh or peel it. Let cool completely, then blend until smooth. Use the necessary amount of purée and store the rest in the fridge in a bowl covered with cling film or in a tightly closed glass jar.

Prepare the batter

• Before you start, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Grind 1 Tb brown flax seeds in a coffee grinder (or use ready-made) until powdery. In a small bowl add the flax and 3 Tb lukewarm water and mix. It will turn into a gel. Set aside.
• In a bowl sieve together and mix the dry ingredients well.
• In a separate bowl add the flax paste and the rest of the wet ingredients and give them a good stir. If the applesauce is not completely smooth, push the apple bits through a fine sieve before using it.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well with a spoon.
• Line the bottom of a 20 cm (8") loose bottom pan with parchment paper and very lightly oil the bottom and sides of the pan.
• Pour the batter into the pan and spread it around. Even out the surface with the back of a spoon dipped in water. 

Bake the brownie for 25 minutes until the top is well set and dry and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out with a little thick batter. Remove on a wire rack and let cool for about half an hour. As it sits it will pull away from the sides.

When warm enough to handle, remove it from the pan, peel off the parchment paper and place it on a plate. Let it sit for another half an hour to cool completely. Put the brownie in the fridge to chill for about an hour until the frosting is ready. Meanwhile prepare the ganache.

Chocolate Ganache

• 100 g vegan chocolate (60% cacao)
• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 2 Tb coconut milk (the carton type or use homemade)

Put the ingredients in a glass bowl. Place the bowl on top of a pot of simmering water over medium-low heat without the bottom of the bowl touching the water. Leave for a few seconds for the liquid to warm up, then stir gently with a wooden spoon. Before the chocolate is completely melted remove the bowl and allow the residual heat to melt the rest. Leave it on your worktop for an hour to thicken, stirring from time to time, careful not to trap air bubbles inside. The consistency changes from thin and runny to thick and creamy and it will be runny enough to form an even layer without the need of a spatula.

I wanted a pure chocolate taste both for the brownie and ganache, but if you like you can flavour them. You could add vanilla, rum, chili powder, cinnamon, maple syrup instead of agave nectar, etc.

Now here's the thing, you could pop the ganache in the fridge for about an hour to harden instead of leaving it outside and that would make frosting the brownie very easy with the use of a spatula, but you won't get that smooth, glossy finish. To do that, I thought of a trick and it worked both times I made the recipe. When kept at room temperature, the ganache will still have a pourable consistency but it won't set in a thick layer.

That's why the cake needs to be completely chilled when frosted. The moment the ganache comes in contact with the cold surface of the brownie, the cacao butter in the chocolate starts to solidify and the ganache becomes much thicker. So this is what you do: pour the ganache in the centre of the cake and as it spreads towards the edge use the wooden spoon to spread it back towards the centre, turning the plate around to maintain an even layer. It will drip a little over the edge, so just run the spoon along the sides while turning the plate around and pour the ganache back on top. Give the plate a little shake when you do that so the top remains smooth. The whole process takes a minute or two. When the ganache no longer drips on the sides, place the brownie in the fridge for 30-45 minutes for the ganache to properly set.

Remove from the fridge and start cutting the brownie. To obtain a clean cut use a thin knife dipped in a glass of warm water (not hot) and wipe it. A little brownie batter will stick to the knife, so you need to clean it inside the glass each time before cutting. After each cut separate the long brownie bars, then cut them individually.

Choose any shape and size you prefer. I cut them into about 3.5 cm squares and later I halved them for a nicer presentation.

I still had a few pieces of brownie the following day and was surprised to see that the ganache was still creamy and smooth, I thought it would become harder and sticky but it didn't:) This happened both times, so this ganache really works.

For the crunchy version I used 1/2 cup chopped almonds and 1/3 cup raisins soaked for 30 mins in warm water, then drained. I only used 1/3 cup agave nectar and the raisins added more sweetness. The brownies turned out darker than in these two photos.

I hope I've convinced you to give one of these versions a try.

Enjoy and spread the magic!:)

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