Mocha Brownies

I was thrilled to see a post on Jen’s blog a while back for King Arthur Flour double fudge brownies made with wholesome whole wheat flour. Talk about a recipe that strike a balance between “living to eat” and “eating to live”. I immediately bookmarked the recipe, and just got around to making my own version.

My first change was to halve the recipe. It would be dangerous for me to make a giant pan of brownies, considering John rarely eats dessert (although as he ate his first bite, he gave me that brow furrowed, head slightly tilted “these are gooood!” look). I baked the brownies in a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan to ensure they came out nice and thick, (if you use an 8 x 8 inch brownie pan, they will come out rather thin), which is just the way I like ‘em.

Other adaptions I made were to swap the butter for an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce and canola oil, cut down slightly on the brown sugar, and use white whole wheat flour (what I had on hand).

Finally, I doubled the amount of espresso powder in order to heighten the coffee flavor – hence the addition of “mocha” in the title.

So, how did they come out? If the photos aren’t evidence enough, I will try to put into words how amazingly delicious these brownies are.

Thick, rich, and perfectly balanced between cakey and fudgy, these Mocha Brownies are definitely a treat to sink your teeth into. The dense brownie batter is packed with chocolate chips, and the sides are slightly crisp. The coffee flavor is subtle, yet it adds a complexity to the chocolate. Due to a bit less sugar and the use of semi-sweet chocolate chips, the brownies aren’t cloyingly sweet like many baked goods are. That being said, they are mighty rich, so I suggest having a tall glass of ice-cold milk on hand ;).

As John and I were each contentedly savouring devouring one of these colossal brownies, I realized that it has been quite some time since I last made brownies. With this recipe under my belt, it’s pretty safe to say that we will have brownies on hand much more often!

Mocha Brownies

adapted from Beantown Baker, originally from King Arthur

yields 8 large brownies

Ingredients

• canola oil cooking spray
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup Sucanat or lightly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp unsweetened dutch-process cocoa
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp instant espresso granules/powder
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1 cup semisweet or grain-sweetened chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Lightly coat a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with canola oil cooking spray. Line pan with parchment paper, leaving ends hanging over the edge of the pan. Parchment paper should stick to the oil-coated pan. Lightly coat parchment with cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, briskly whisk together the applesauce, oil, and sugar until well-mixed and the sugar is mostly dissolved.
4. Whisk in the cocoa through vanilla. Whisk in eggs until mixture is smooth.
5. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the flour until moistened. Fold in the chocolate chips.
6. Pour brownie batter into prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula or spoon.
7. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out mostly clean. It’s okay if a few bits of brownie are clinging to the toothpick.
8. Let rest on a wire rack until completely cooled. Refrigerate for at least two hours for easiest cutting.

Do you prefer cakey or fudgy brownies?

Estimated Nutrition Per Serving

• Calories: 280 calories
• Total Fat: 18g
• Saturated Fat: 11g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Cholesterol: 85mg
• Sodium: 110mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 30g
• Dietary Fiber: 2g
• Sugars: 20g
• Protein: 3g