Cappuccino Brownies

Cinnamon, coffee and chocolate make these brownies taste like a cappuccino.

Making a gluten-free brownie without eggs at high altitude is a nightmare. I kid you not. You try it. The damn batter never cooks- it sizzles and oozes and just when you can take it no longer, Dear Reader, you yank the unctuous mud out of the oven out of sheer boredom and disgust (they've been baking for what, three days now?) and you set them on the cooling rack only to watch them harden into what can only be described, I am sorry to tell you, as a slab of cement.

Brown cement.

Not even the coyotes would touch them.

And yes, I've tried the high altitude tricks. And no, I can't use silken tofu or flaxseed gel or mayonnaise (due to suspected food allergies). What I can do is persevere (here is where neurodiverse perseveration comes in handy). This time, it worked. Maybe it was the vegan Spectrum Organic Shortening ^[1] border=0

. Or maybe it was the gluten-free vanilla powder ^[2] border=0

. Who knows? All I know is this attempt (number, what? Fifteen, maybe?) is finally edible.

Not to mention, not half bad delicious.

If you don't care for coffee, leave it out.Â No worries.

Vegan Cappuccino Brownie Recipe

These mocha fudgy gems freeze well. Exercise self control when you thaw one- let them get to room temperature before indulging. The flavor is better. Of course, you could always cheat and nuke one for twenty seconds to get it instantly warm and melty, too. I won't tell.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square brownie pan ^[3] border=0

with greased parchment.

Ingredients:

Whisk to combine:

1/2 cup organic GF buckwheat border=0 or millet flour* see notes
1/2 cup sorghum flour or fine brown rice flour
1/2 cup organic cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon Authentic Foods Vanilla Powder- or 2 teaspoons bourbon vanilla extract

Heat:

1/3 cup vanilla non-dairyÂ milk

And add in:

2 rounded teaspoons of instant decaf coffee or instant espresso border=0 crystals. Stir to dissolve the coffee. Set aside.

Beat:

1/2 cup organic coconut oil orÂ Spectrum Organic Shortening border=0
1 cup packed organic light brown sugar
Ener-G Egg Replacer for 2 eggs mixed with warm water- or 2 large organic happy eggs

Add the coffee milk to this and beat.

Instructions:

Add the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir/beat by hand until smooth. Gluten-free batters are stiff- but if this batter is *too* stiff, add a tablespoon of rice milk or two until it softens a bit.

Add in:

3/4 cup Enjoy Life or other allergen-free chocolate chips border=0 , and additional chips for topping, if desired

Mix well. It will come together as a sturdy batter much like fudge. If the batter is too dry to stick together, add another tablespoon of rice milk- or two- until the batter can form into a ball.

Dump, press and smooth the brownie batter into an 8-inch square baking pan. I use a narrow silicone spatula to do this, then finish with dry hands.

Sprinkle the top with extra chips, cocoa powder and cinnamon.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the brownies are fairly firm to the touch and a wooden pick inserted into the center emerges clean (check twice if you hit a melted chocolate chip).

Cool on a wire rack before slicing. Sprinkle with cinnamon again before serving.

Karina's Notes:

I like to freeze my brownies for 15 to 20 minutes before cutting. This makes a neater bar. Then I wrap each bar in foil and freeze in a freezer bag.

I use buckwheat in my flour mix because it's higher in protein and fiber than typical gluten-free flours and starches. You could always sub with your own favorite hearty flour. But I wouldn't use starches in this recipe- the texture might change.

Makes 9 to 12 bars.

Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com