Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Gluten-free brownies


I've been utilising my holiday to experiment with new recipes in order to widen my baking repertoire and also to improve my existing good old recipes! It's been so much fun and I've been amazed how many different kinds of ingredients are available when it comes to gluten-free and or or organic baking. We are so spoiled to have all those choices - by the way, I LOVE gluten!!

Anyway, it's always good to offer something different for those who can eat only gluten free goodies, so I'm trying to come up with at least 2 or 3 good gluten-free recipes.

The other day, when I went to check out the markets, I saw spelt brownies. I looked gluten-free information on the net and found that spelt is actually not gluten-free. So I thought a bit and decided to experiment with buckwheat flour. It's full of goodness and is really close to my culture, so it'd be my kind of ingredient:) The only problem with buckwheat is that it's so overpowering and it interferes with other ingredients. I'm hoping that with this brownie - so rich in chocolate and cocoa flavour and a hint of Kahlua, you wouldn't smell too much of buckwheat. It still does have that flavour tiny bit but I think it's not that noticeable.

I may try to substitute almond meal for other gluten-free flour so that people with nut allergy can eat this too:)

Gluten-free brownies

250 g unsalted butter
300 g dark cooking chocolate
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
3/4 cup almond meal
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon Kahlua leaguer

1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees. Grease and line a 4cm deep, 18cm x 25cm slice pan. Shift the almond meal, buckwheat flour and cocoa powder together.
2. Place the butter and chocolate in a saucepan on low heat, stirring occasionally until they melt. Remove the pan from the heat and add the sugar, mixing well to combine.
3. Place the eggs in the bowl and beat well. Slowly beat in the chocolate mixture, then fold in the almond meal, buckwheat flour and cocoa powder. Beat well until combined.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake in the oven for about 30 mins or until the top has formed a crust but the centre is still slightly gooey when a skewer is inserted. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pan before turning out.