UTTERLY GLORIOUS FUDGY CHOCOLATE BROWNIES (Gluten free)

For all my swagger and confidence in the kitchen, I'm not nearly so sure of myself when it comes to gluten free baking. So I decided to tackle it head on and create a sweet treat that would prove that anyone can show gluten free baking who's boss. I realised I would need 2 things to help me:

Firstly, I needed my starting point to be a phenomenal but simple recipe that's a classic crowd pleaser. Something I could tinker with and adapt to make gluten free.

It was hard to go past a classic brownie. And I'm lucky enough to have worked with an incredible pastry chef, Nina Wilson, at the Ritz Carlton Hotel,  way, way back in the 1990s. Nina was the hotel's head pastry chef, and I, as a wide eyed apprentice, got to train under the best. Nina's fudgy chocolate brownie recipe is famous in all the right circles. 

Secondly, I needed advice from a seasoned master of gf baking. Luckily, I work with one here at Village Wholefoods HQ. Alex is a phenomenal baker of gf delights and is a reliable source of knowledge, inspiration and advice for our gf customers and staff alike.

From Alex I learned an invaluable tip - gluten free flours are thirstier, or more absorbent, than wheat flour, meaning the liquid ratio of a non gluten free recipe needs to be altered to accommodate the gf flour. With this in mind I eased off on the amount of flour called for in Nina's original recipe by about ¼, and I believe it was this nugget of wisdom that led to the most splendiferous, fudgey, perfect tray of brownies. 

And here is the recipe!

Makes approx 12-16 brownies

Ingredients
125g butter
1 cup chocolate chips (I used a mixture or dark and milk)
2 eggs
¾ cup caster sugar 
1 tsp vanilla essence
¼ cup cocoa (I used alkalised for a more classic chocolate flavour. Raw is fine)
⅓ cup plain gluten free flour** (I used the ready-to-go gf flour blend we sell in store)
Pinch salt

Method
Prepare brownie or loaf tin with baking paper. Set the oven to 170°c (150°c fanforced)

Melt butter and chocolate together. I use the microwave, and do it in 30 second intervals, stirring regularly. Set aside to allow it to cool to close to room temperature.

Whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla well, til it becomes pale, fluffy and velvety. This can take 5-10 mins but it's well worth it. Add cooled melted butter and chocolate, but don't overstir. Just combine. 

Sift cocoa, flour and salt. Add to the rest of the mixture. Again, you just want to combine; don't stir vigorously.

Pour mixture into prepared tin and bake for aprox 30 mins. It might need a few more minutes - when it stops wobbling in the middle it's ready. Leave in tin and transfer to a wire rack to completely cool. These brownies are a bit more fragile when warm than ones made with wheat flour so it's a good idea to pop them in the fridge for an hour before cutting into squares to serve.

**to make a standard wheat version substitute the gluten free flour for ¼ cup plain cake flour

PIMP MY RECIPE:
Try adding different ingredients to change things up a bit. A handful of any of the following can be added at the final combining stage: 

White choc chips
Chopped pecans 
Chopped hazelnuts
Chopped macadamias
Fresh or freeze dried raspberries 

Or try:
A dollop of peanut butter
A small sprinkling of dried lavender
A shot of strong, cooled espresso
A tsp of wattleseed