Almost Gwyneth's Fudgy Brownies

My less-healthy version called almost Gwyneth Paltrow's fudgy brownies. Still made with spelt, they are chewy and chocolatey and delicious!

I was sitting around the house this past Monday (actually on my laptop making comments on many of the movie-inspired #SundaySupper posts  – so many fabulous ones!) and suddenly, on Facebook (yeah, okay, you got me, also reading Facebook) a link popped up for these brownies.  It was posted by a friend who is trying to eat more healthily (Hi, Claire!) and she said that, for healthy brownies, they were pretty good.  More cake than brownie but good.  Well, I just happened to have some spelt flour I bought on a whim a few weeks ago, (I was under the mistaken impression that it was gluten free.  It’s not!) so I decided to give them a try.  Of course, as these things usually go, I didn’t have maple syrup or agave nectar or soy milk.  So substitutions were made.

If you’d like to make Gwyneth’s actual recipe, here’s the link with metric measurements and imperial measurements, but I can tell you that, after comparing results with my friend, my brownies were chewier and more brownie than cake.  Not as healthy perhaps, since they have sugar.  But hey.

And while, I’m but hey-ing, what’s with all the hating on Gwyneth?   I think folks are just jealous.  Are you a Gwyneth fan?

Ingredients
2 cups or 200g spelt flour
1 cup or 80g cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Special Dark.)
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
Healthy pinch fine salt
1/2 cup or 125ml canola or other light oil
1 cup or 250ml honey
1/2 cup or 100g light brown sugar
1/2 cup or 125ml strong brewed coffee, cooled
1/2 cup or 125ml milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup or 175g semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare your baking pan by greasing with a little canola oil or baking spray.   This is supposed to make 12 brownies so I used my square brownie pan but I must admit it was very full.  (You’ll see what I mean later.  Nothing ran over during baking though, so I guess it was just big enough.)

Gwyneth’s instructions said to sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together but when I tried sifting the spelt flour, the bigger bits just got stuck in the tiny holes in my sieve, so I tipped the flour into my bowl and then sifted in the cocoa, and added the other ingredients, including the light brown sugar.  So you can probably do the same.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the canola oil, milk, honey, coffee and vanilla.

It doesn't really want to mix.  Just do your best. 

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Gwyneth said, "Don't stir too hard," so I didn't.

Pour half of your batter into the prepared baking pan.  Sprinkle with half the chocolate chips.

Now cover the chips with the rest of the batter.

Top with the rest of the chocolate chips.

See how full?!  I was a little worried, I'll be frank. 

Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out almost clean.  I think underdone is better than overdone when the item is brownies.

All the chocolate chips sank.  But maybe that made them more chewy so I'm not complaining.

Let them cool for about 10-15 minutes and then cut into squares.  These were fabulous warm!

Enjoy!

And since I substituted honey for the maple syrup, I am submitting these chewy brownies to 

We Should Cocoa, hosted by Choclette of the ChocolateLogBlog where chocolate is a food staple and April's extra ingredient is honey.  Go on over and visit! 

                                                        

Coconut Pecan Brownie Muffins #MuffinMonday

Rich, chocolately muffins with pecans, coconut, hazelnut spread and chocolate chips, these Coconut Pecan Brownie Muffins as gorgeous as they are delicious.

Once again this week, Anuradha, our illustrious Muffin Monday organizer has given us free reign, prescribing only one ingredient and no specific recipe.  In a lot of ways, I find this even more fun and I hope the trend continues.   Our ingredient for this week is coconut, which I love!  The first thought that popped into my head was the birthday cake I often asked for as a child, German Chocolate Cake, which has a pecan coconut frosting.  But since muffins aren’t really supposed to be cupcakes with frosting, I decided just to take those flavors and add them into the actual muffin.*  They went off to the office with my dear husband and, I am told, were gone in an absolute flash.  Which pleases me no end!

Headed for work, spreading joy for #MuffinMonday on Sunday, which is our Monday, so it works out perfectly.

Coconut Pecan Brownie Muffins

This recipe was adapted from the Chocolate Brownie Muffin recipe in The Australian Women's Weekly Madeleines, Muffins & More, which I received as a Christmas gift from my beautiful, generous daughters.

Ingredients
2 cups or 250g flour
1/3 cup or 26g cocoa powder
1/3 cup or 75g sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup or 165g chocolate hazelnut spread plus extra for decorating
1/4 cup or 60g butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup or 180ml milk
1/2 cup or 120g sour cream
1 cup or 125g whole pecans (You will reserve 1/4 for decorating.)
1/2 cup or 50g sweetened flaked coconut plus extra for decorating
1/2 cup or 95g chocolate chips

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare your muffin tins (one 12-cup and one 6-cup) by spraying with non-stick spray or lining with muffin papers.

Chop pecans and set aside 1/4 cup for decorating.

Combine your flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

In another smaller bowl, whisk together your egg, chocolate hazelnut spread, milk, sour cream and butter.

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ones and stop when it’s still quite dry looking.

Add in three-quarters of the pecans, the coconut flakes and the chocolate chips.  Stir until just mixed.

Divide your batter between the 18 prepared muffin cups.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool for a few minutes in the pans and then remove to continue cooling on a wire rack.

Once cool, spread the muffins with a small amount of the chocolate hazelnut spread and decorate with the rest of the pecans and just a little of the coconut flakes.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Muffins with Chocolate Cream Cheese Filling #MuffinMonday

Who out there watched the Great British Bake Off?   I first heard about the show when we were in Abu Dhabi for my birthday weekend.  I’ve since found it online and I am HOOKED.  I know it’s actually over but I am only up to episode six for season three so please don’t tell me who won.  All of the contenders are amateur home bakers and the technical challenges are quite difficult.  So many times while I’ve been watching, something has gone horribly wrong and I gasped like others do during a horror film and even made the dog jump.  My kind of drama!


Meanwhile, it’s Muffin Monday again, and I’ve got a lovely chocolate muffin that anyone can make.  You won’t be surprised to hear that muffins haven’t featured at all in the Bake Off challenges.  Too easy.

Chocolate Muffins with Chocolate Cream Cheese Filling

I'm dedicating these muffins to my wonderful mother-in-law.  You've all read about her here.  Today it's her birthday!  So, happy birthday, Heather!  I love you!

Ingredients
For the muffins:
2 cups or 250g flour
3/4 cup or 170g granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup or 45g cocoa powder
2 large eggs
1/3 cup or 80ml canola oil
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup yogurt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the filling:
1 3/4 oz or 50g dark chocolate
2 1/2 oz or 72g cream cheese
pinch salt
1 tablespoon sugar

Topping – optional
1/2 cup milk chocolate M&Ms or chocolate chips

Method
Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C.   Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line it with paper cups.

Measure your flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into large bowl and shift the cocoa into it.  Mix well and set aside.

In smaller bowl, whisk your eggs, oil, milk, yogurt and vanilla.

Set it aside and get on with the filling.

Put the chocolate and cream cheese and the pinch of salt into a microwaveable bowl.  Heat 20-30 seconds at a time on high, stirring in between, until they have melted and are completely combined.

Add in the tablespoon of sugar and stir well.

Now back to the muffin batter.  Pour your wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Divide half of your batter between the muffin cups.

Using a small spoon, divide the filling between the muffin cups, trying to place it in the center of the batter.

Cover the filling with the balance of the batter.

Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with mini M&Ms, if using.  Since Mars have decided not to make the baking bits except seasonally at Christmas time, (and then, only the milk chocolate) the regular mini M&Ms have to do.  The color comes off but I think it has rather a neat effect so I still use them.   You could also use chocolate chips.

Bake in your preheated over for about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool for a few minutes then remove to rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Deep Chocolate Be Mine Bundt for #BundtaMonth

This one is for all of you folks who don’t have a Bundt pan.  Since this is the month of love and Valentines’ Day, I wanted to show you how you could get on the Bundt love train, without an actual Bundt pan.  I’ll be honest, this was an experiment but I am delighted to say it worked beautifully and you can now go forth and create Bundts in confidence.

The BundtaMonth theme for February is, of course, chocolate.  How could it be anything but?

Since it's the month of love and all, I chose to experiment using my heart pan because nothing says I love you like chocolate in the shape of a heart, am I right?  I followed these directions over on ehow with the addition of pie weights wrapped in parchment paper in the middle of my well-buttered ramekin.  I figured the weights would help hold the ramekin down in the batter and the parchment was insurance against the possibility of ruining my pie beads if the molten batter did flow over into the ramekin.  I’ve got photos below, so scroll on down to see how it worked.

Ingredients
For the cake:
1/2 cup or 115g unsalted butter, plus more to butter the pan and the ramekin
1/3 cup or 30g cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup or 125g flour, plus more for coating the buttered pan and ramekin
1 cup or 225g sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
1/4 cup or 60ml sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Bundt filling and decorating:
1 cup whipping cream
Small container (about 4 1/2 oz or 125g) of raspberries or other pretty red berries.  Yes, red.  Don’t argue.

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Butter the inside of your pan and the outside of the ramekin, thoroughly.  Now flour the inside of the pan and the outside of the ramekin.  If you are using a silicon pan, put it in the center of a metal cookie sheet.  Put the ramekin in the center of your pan.  Wrap your pie weights or some dried beans in a piece of parchment paper and tuck them into the ramekin.  Your makeshift Bundt pan is now ready for business.

In a microwavable glass bowl, add a half cup or 120ml of water to the salt and butter and sift in the cocoa powder.

Microwave for 20 or 30 seconds at a time, whisking in between, until the butter is melted and the cocoa has been incorporated.  Set aside.

In a larger bowl, mix together your flour, sugar and baking powder and baking soda.  Pour in the melted butter mixture and whisk until completely blended.  It will be very thick and look more like brownie batter at this point.

Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until completely blended before adding the second egg.

Whisk in the sour cream and vanilla until smooth.

Pour your batter into the prepared pan and bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Remove the parchment with the pie weights and let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes.  Run a toothpick around the edge of the ramekin to loosen it.   Carefully lift the ramekin out of the hole.  Invert the cake on your baking tray and then turn it right side up again on your serving plate to decorate.

And, yeah, I know it's not all rounded and Bundt-like except for the hole but next time I am going to be more brave and try a deeper pan and more batter with a small metal mixing bowl in the middle to see how that works.

When the cake is completely cool, whip one cup of cream to stiff peaks.  Pile the cream in the hole of the cake and decorate with fresh red berries.  Serve each piece with some of the cream and a few of the berries.

Happy February and enjoy!

Have a look at all the other lovely chocolate Bundts we’ve baked for February below!   And here are just a few simple rules for joining up:

- Simple rule: Use chocolate - and bake us a Bundt for February
- Post it before February 28, 2013.
- Use the #BundtAMonth hashtag in your title. (For ex: title should read #BundtAMonth: Chocolate Cinnamon Bundt)
- Add your entry to the Linky tool below
- Link back to our announcement posts.

Chocolate Berry Bundt Cake by Heather from Hezzi D's Books and Cooks

Chocolate Bundt Cake with Balsamic Strawberry Sauce by Alice from Hip Foodie Mom

Chocolate Chobani Bundt Cake by Carrie from Poet In The Pantry

Chocolate Espresso Bundt Cake by Holly from A Baker’s House

Chocolate Mini Bundts with Matcha Flowers by Kim from Ninja Baking

Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Bundt Cake by Anita from Hungry Couple

Chocolate Rocky Road Bundt Cake by Tara from Noshing With The Nolands

Chocolate Turtle Bundt Cake by Kim from Cravings Of A Lunatic

Deep Chocolate Be Mine Bundt by Stacy from Food Lust People Love

Double Chocolate Swirled Bundt Cake by Laura from The Spiced Life

Chocolate Peanut Butter Layered Bundt Cake by Karen from In The Kitchen With KP

Red Wine Chocolate Bundt Cake with Mascarpone Whipped Cream by Kate from Food Babbles

Sour Cream Chocolate Bundt Cake by Renee from Magnolia Days

Quadruple Chocolate Bundt Cake by Dorothy from Shockingly Delicious

Vanilla and Chocolate Marble Bundt Cake by Anuradha from Baker Street

White Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake by Paula from Vintage Kitchen