Chocolate Nirvana! -- Gluten free, sugar free, brownies!

Sometimes, you just gotta have chocolate! (Men, you may need to avert your eyes for a few moments) Seriously, when my "monthly gift" comes around, chocolate becomes as important as breathing! Ladies, you know what I am talking about! (unless of course you don't like chocolate, but then you will have some other treat that you absolutely MUST have at "certain times")...Ok Men, you can start reading again, just thought I would try to spare you some of the estrogen-laced commentary =)

That being said, it has been very difficult to find a recipe for brownies that is gluten free AND sugar free AND actually tastes like the chocolate heaven I need! But today, my fellow cocoa cravers, our prayers have been answered!

The Whole Pan of GF and SF Brownies I made today

Gluten Free, Sugar Free Brownies

Ingredients:

10 ounces Hershey's Sugar Free Chocolate Chips 

(or for added richness, substitute grated unsweetened 60% cacao chocolate bar)

1 cup olive oil

2 cups coconut sugar                                                

1 cup almond meal

1/2 cup sorghum flour

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 organic free-range eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon bourbon vanilla*

Optional:

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, if desired

More chocolate chips for the top, if desired

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 13x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

Melt the chocolate chips and oil in a saucepan over low heat, gently stirring. (Or melt in a microwave safe measuring cup and stir together to combine.) 

In a mixing bowl whisk together the sugar, almond meal, sorghum flour, fine sea salt and baking soda. Make a well in the center and add the beaten eggs, vanilla extract and melted dark chocolate mixture. Beat on low-medium for at least two minutes, until the batter begins to come together. At first it will seem thin, like cake batter, but keep beating until it thickens and becomes glossy. It's ok if the batter seems grainy.

If you are adding nuts, stir in the nuts by hand and spread the batter into the prepared baking pan. Even out the batter with a silicone spatula.

For added yum, stud the top with some more chocolate chips and press in slightly.

Bake in the center of a preheated 350ºF oven for 45 to 47 minutes, or until the brownies are set. The top will crack, like a flourless chocolate cake.

Cool on a wire rack; and remove the cooled brownies from the pan by gripping the parchment edges and lifting the brownies out as a whole.

Chill for an hour before cutting. (Though warm and gooey is really divine, if you don't mind them falling apart.)

*For chocolate-mint brownies use 1 teaspoon peppermint extract and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Read more: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2006/01/dark-chocolate-brownies.html#ixzz2MnuKtaT0

This recipe was modified from www.glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com
(seriously, that girl is AMAZING! So grateful that she shares her wisdom with us newbies!) I tweaked it slightly to make it refined sugar free and doubled the recipe in order to make the familiar 13x9-inch size that you're used to from boxed mixes.

They even "crackle" on top like regular brownies!

These are ABSOLUTE HEAVEN!!! They are fudgy and chewy, rather than cakey, and oh-so-wonderful! Enjoy, and as always, don't hesitate to post questions or comments!