Monday, March 5, 2018

Homemade Brownie MIx

This brownie mix makes rich, chewy brownies and by swapping the liquid you can make a variety of treats.
 
One of my old school friends was a diehard Brownie and Girl Guide, now her daughters are too!


We are a brownie-loving bunch here - dense, chewy, or fudgy, iced or not, full of chocolate chips or cocoa alone. Now my sister and I are brownie purists, eschewing the "textural" chunks present in most store-bought brownies - I'm talking to you, pecans and walnuts - and since they often find their place in packed lunches frosting simply isn't practical. In terms of overall practicality, brownies are not the most difficult thing in the world to whip up, however I am somewhat ashamed to admit that we have at least ten boxes of mix in the pantry right now (my sister only likes one kind, homemade be darned). 

While I have no problem making a batch of brownies from scratch (melted chocolate included) on a weekend or for a once in a while treat, it is hard to beat the convenience of a boxed mix. However, I'm not necessarily a fan of the quality of the ingredients in mixes - too often have I bitten into a brownie and been greeted with nothing but a crumbly saccharine mess. Making my own, then, was the answer, and since I based the "mix" off one of my favourite vegan brownie recipes making the bars afterwards is even easier than your usual box. I used a mix of flours - all purpose for structure, whole wheat for a delicate nuttiness and fibre, and sweet rice for fudginess - as well as both white and brown sugar for the perfect balance of crispy top and rich, moist crumb. I do implore you to use the best cocoa you have available for this - after all, you want to taste chocolate, not sugar, in a well made brownie.

Stay tuned tomorrow for how I took this basic mix and elevated it for a special occasion!


Homemade Brownie Mix
Will make one 8" pan, 12 brownies
⅔ cup all purpose flour
⅔ cup whole wheat pastry flour
¼ cup sweet rice flour
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
  1. Mix all ingredients in a jar and attach a label with these directions:
  • Combine mix, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup oil, and 1/2 tbsp vanilla until just combined.
  • Pour in greased 8×8 pan and bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes.

* Note: for mocha brownies, use ½ cup coffee in the batter. For red wine brownies, use ⅓ cup red wine and 3 tbsp water in the brownies. For black forest brownies, use cherry juice as the liquid and add ¼ cup minced maraschino cherries.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 125.7
Total Fat: 0.5 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 99.7 mg
Total Carbs: 31.7 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.7 g
Protein: 2.2 g

No comments :

Post a Comment

Thanks for the feedback!