(this recipe was originally published in Cook's Illustrated's "The Best Light Recipe")
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unbleached flour (2 1/2 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons Dutch processed cocoa powder
1 tablespoon warm water
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/8 teaspoon instant espresso powder
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 ounces semisweet chocolate - chopped fine (do not use semi-sweet chocolate chips. Use semi-sweet chocolate baking bars)
1/2 cup sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
The parentheses information behind the sugar and flour is the weight. According to Cook's Illustrated's Cook Book, it is more accurate to measure sugar and flour by weight rather than going by lines on a measuring cup.
Instructions:
1. Whisk flour and baking powder together in bowl then set aside.
2. Whisk cocoa, espresso, vanilla, and warm water together then set aside.
3. Microwave chocolate and butter together in medium sized microwavable safe bowl at 50% power for about 1 minute or so until melted.
4. Whisk the mixture until smooth.
5. Whisk in the sugar and salt in the chocolate/butter mix until incorporated.
6. Whisk in the cocoa mixture
7. Whisk in the egg.
8. Stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated.
9. Double line an 8 x 8 baking pan with parchment paper or foil lightly coated with vegetable spray.
9. Pour batter into prepared pan.
10. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees. Rotate half way through. Do not over bake. Insert toothpick - toothpick should come out with just a few crumbs.
11. Let cool in pans for 1 hour.
12. Lift brownies out of pan.
13. Cut into 12 brownies
14. Enjoy.
Calories - 130
Fat - 5 g
Sat fat - 2.5 g
Cholesterol - 25 mg
Carb - 19 g
Protein - 2 g
Fiber - 1 g
Sodium - 55 mg
We are having a brownie bake-off at work to raise money for charity. We have the brownie bake-off every year. This is my second year competing. Last year, I made Cook's Illustrated Turtle Brownies and although I did not win, I received many compliments. This year, I am emphasizing a better and healthier brownie by focusing on a lot less calories. 130 calories per brownie is difficult to beat. I'm going to be advertising how many calories my brownies have (or don't have). Hopefully, that will get me quite a few votes. Based on my research, I guess it is quite common to add in espresso to maintain a chocolate brownie flavor without adding in a lot of calories.
So, this is what I am entering this year. All money raised at this event will be donated to charity and the winner gets to choose the charity. It will be lots of fun. I'll add P.S. to this post later and tell everyone how it went.
