Chocolate Brownies

I don't know why I often crave a mid-afternoon chocolate treat, but today I did, and instead of heading for the chocolate chips, I decided to make chocolate brownies from my Weight Watchers Best Ever Desserts Cook Book. (which appears to be out of print).


















I don't make a lot of the desserts from this book, but this cover picture of brownies sold me on the book initially, and I have made them several times. Even with my "healthy" substitutions, I have never been disappointed.

I suspect their low fat makes them diet-friendly... if you eat just one... But I always have a hard time doing that!

So I'll give you the recipe - with my modifications - and my method.

Fudgy Cocoa Brownies (Page 64)

1. Mix the following dry ingredients together till they are well blended:

3/4 cup flour

• My substitution: I used 1/4 cup spelt flour and 1/2 a cup of unbleached flour. I sometimes use 1/4 cup each of spelt, whole wheat and white flour.

1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar

2. Add in and mix:

3 tablespoons melted butter (My substitution: 3 tablespoons cooking oil or olive oil)
1 large egg and 2 egg whites (My substitution: 3 whole eggs)

3. When well mixed, add:

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

4. Pour into a sprayed or greased pan. (One of the reasons I like to use silicone bakeware is that it doesn't need to be greased.)

5. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20 minutes. Let cool before removing from pan.














Note! This recipe makes 16 brownies - I made 12 cupcakes instead. If you can hold yourself back from eating more than one a day and substitute one brownie for one and a half slices of bread, these brownies can be considered diet-friendly!

Idea! It just occurred to me that this would be an easy recipe to gift as a prepared "mix." The dry ingredients and walnuts could be mixed and put in a jar or small freezer bag tied with a bow. Attached to the bow could be the easy instructions:
1. Add:

• 3 tablespoons of cooking oil
• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla (optional)
  

2. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit in a greased baking pan.
3. Cool and enjoy!