Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Brownie Brittle

I am a "brownie edge" person. Don't get me wrong - give me a pan of fudgy, dense brownies and it will disappear entirely without complaints - but if it's a choice between the soft centre and the crisp-chewy borders of a freshly baked pan, I'm going for the trimmings. My dad and I share the same love for that slightly overbaked texture, and while we don't like teeth-shattering crunch, we'll gladly take the bits most people wouldn't serve.

Brownie Brittle
Serving them in a coffee can is a great way to tie in the mocha flavour!

It was my search for this "golden medium" that landed me at this recipe. A relatively basic, Kamut-flour brownie got a little built-in "chew" from egg whites and custard powder, plus a "grown up" boost from brewed coffee and espresso powder. They're double-baked (a la biscotti) and left to cool in the oven, ensuring that they dry out enough to store safely at room temperature while staying ever-so-slightly yielding to chewing. Brittle really isn't the right name for these, but both "brewies" and "chettle" sound weird, so the original name for the treats I've seen in store it is!

I left out nuts and chocolate chips from the batter (they make spreading evenly tricky!) but couldn't resist a handful of bittersweet beauties scattered overtop. I might try making a batch soon with one of my favourite combinations - peanut butter and chocolate - by using a little peanut flour instead of the custard powder and a mix of peanut butter and chocolate chips overtop. The door is open for possibilities!!

How do you like your brownies? Soft, cakey, dense, fudgy... as much chocolate as you can stand?

Brownie Brittle
Makes 8 servings
⅓ cup Kamut flour or whole wheat pastry flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 tbsp custard powder
1 tsp instant espresso powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking soda
2 egg whites
½ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup brewed cooled coffee
2 tbsp vegetable oil
¼ cup dark chocolate chips
  1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, custard powder, espresso powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
  3. In another medium bowl, beat egg whites with sugar and vanilla extract until foamy.
  4. Add the dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
  5. Stir in the coffee and vegetable oil.
  6. Spread the batter evenly into a thin layer (about half to ¼ the thickness of a traditional brownie) on the baking sheet.
  7. Bake for 20-25 minutes. The brownie will be on the soft side.
  8. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips
  9. Cool completely, then break into small pieces and place back on the cookie sheet.
  10. Bake at 300°F for another 20 minutes. Turn off the oven and cool completely inside.
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 114.8
Total Fat: 5.6 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 13.7 mg
Total Carbs: 14.9 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.8 g
Protein: 2.2 g

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