Super Simple Decadent Brownies

Valentine's Dessert #2: Fatfree and Fabulous Fudgy Brownies | Fatfree Vegan Kitchen

The link above is from Valentine's Day, but I was searching around for a good brownie recipe for my son's end-of-year picnic tomorrow. It includes tofu and while I've baked with tofu before (and found it delish), I like to find recipes that don't include it because I usually have to make a special trip to buy the right kind. However. I posted the link because the pictures on that blog are just amazing. Why don't my pictures look like that? =(



So...I made brownies last week (twice), once just as an experiment trying to "veganize" a set of two recipes that sounded good, and the second time, as a celebration that they turned out perfectly and to teach my little sister how to make them. I will post the recipe below (don't you love when recipes have short ingredient lists???) and some helpful, but not beautiful pics.

Super Simple Decadent Brownies

2 cups all-purpose flour (heaping)
1 1/2 cups sugar (1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup white sugar)
2 tbsp ground flax
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup oil*
1-2 tbsp oil3/4 cups water (this may need to be adjusted)
3/4 cup crushed walnuts or white chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions:

1. You only need one bowl! (You're welcome.)
2. Mix all the dry ingredients really well. Dump in (bad word choice, but it's staying) the wet ingredients. Last, you can add the optional ingredients.
3. The pan I use is 8 x 13, but it's deep.
4. Bake at 350 for oh... 20-25 minutes! (PS: Don't freak out if they look like they are inflating in the oven... they will "settle" when you take them out.)
5. I like to sprinkle some powdered sugar on top. Cute, no?

*Ok, so I tried this recipe with applesauce and prune puree replacing the oil (the recipes show the oil results), and it came out way too cakey and spongy. It still tasted super delicious, but the texture wasn't perfectly brownie-esque. So, the oil stays. I'm thinking about making it with tofu to see if the texture will change at all... I'll report back. Till then, this recipe is king!

Above = Before I put them in the oven.
Below = Before I scarf them down.