Brownies!

My people came from the caves baking fudge-like brownies strewn with walnuts. We do not frost, we are not cake-y, and we like the edges and corners chewy. In my personal culinary evolution, I’ve also learned to add marshmallows to this basic formula, because I generally think things are better with extra goo.

The double batch of brownies I just pulled from the oven are the third go I’ve had with this recipe in the last two weeks, I like ‘em that much. The first were developed as an experiment for a friend’s birthday and had great results, so the second were baked for our local World Wide Vegan Bake-sale (y’know to make sure there’d be enough xgfx stuff for the masses), and this last batch I made just for us–since my folks are visiting from far away. However, since it’s become apparent that my Dad is still stuck somewhere in the Stone Age, I had to make half special for him without the rocks, since he’s anti-keen on the marshies.

I’m inspired to share the recipe with you, since we were just discussing brownies over on Facebook. This was modified from The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook, which has remained one of my favorite cookbooks since I first went vegan over 20 years ago. I thought the method of the recipe was super unique, since I’d never heard of cooking flour and water together to make a thick brownie base before, but it seems other folks like The Cinamon Quill are having success with this method as well. Personally, I find my version works best if you use extra fine brown rice flour and allow the brownies a chance to set up in the fridge overnight or for a few hours, because otherwise I find they’re super gooey straight outta the oven, especially with the melted Dandies oozing all over the place.

Rocky Road Brownies

Makes an 8X8 brownie pan full.

What You Need:

  • 1/3 cup teff flour
  • 1 cup water
  • ½ cup vegan margarine (you can sub a few tablespoons of coconut oil for a few of the margarine)
  • 2/3 cup Fair Trade cocoa powder
  • 1 cup unbleached granulated sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar, unpacked
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons finely ground flax meal
  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/3 cups superfine brown rice flour
  • ¼ cup tapioca flour
  • ½ cup potato starch
  • ½ bag Dandies marshmallows, each marshmallow cut in half
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts

What You Do:

  1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the teff flour and water, then over medium heat, stir constantly until it turns into a thick, thick goo. Spoon into the bowl of your stand mixer and allow to sit while you work on step two (if you have guns, you can also do these by hand in a big bowl with a wooden spoon, but the stuff gets really thick).
  2. Wash out the saucepan, place it over medium-high heat and melt the vegan margarine. Quickly whisk in the cocoa powder to combine, then dump this mixture on top of the teff mixture, and allow it all to cool.
  3. Once the stuff has cooled, preheat your oven to 350F, and then beat the stuff until smooth.
  4. Next beat in the baking powder, sugars, salt, vanilla and flax-seed. Then beat in the brown rice flour and starches until smooth, thick and batter-like. Last, toss in the marshmallows and nuts, and stir by hand to incorporate.
  5. Scrape into a well greased square brownie pan (or line with parchment to get them out easier) and bake 35-40 minutes. When done the top will become crunchy and the brownies will have risen and become set, but still slightly soft in the center, without being jiggly.
  6. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Cut into squares and declare yourself a master of xgfx brownies.
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15 Comments

  1. Posted April 29, 2011 at 10:09 pm | Permalink

    Wow, chocolate-y! Plus, with the Dandies…Oooo, I really want to try your version, especially because I adore teff flour. Can one “adore” teff flour? Oh, yes!

    PS Thanks for the shout-out :)

    • Posted May 6, 2011 at 1:43 pm | Permalink

      You’re most welcome! I’d never seen your blog before it was featured on our FB page, and I really like what you’re up to.

      xo
      kittee

  2. Posted April 30, 2011 at 12:02 am | Permalink

    Oh love this idea of the marshmallows in the brownies! I often feel like brownies are a bit too rich, so this sounds like a wonderful way to break them up!

  3. cv
    Posted April 30, 2011 at 7:12 am | Permalink

    Oh my, oh my, oh my, these do look incredible! Unfortunately, however, I don’t own a stand mixer. Do you think it would work in a food processor? I don’t own a hand mixer either, but could easily borrow one, if you think that would work better than a food processor. Thanks!

    • Posted April 30, 2011 at 11:32 am | Permalink

      If you’re strong, just do ‘em by hand in a big bowl with a wooden spoon.
      xo
      kittee

  4. Posted April 30, 2011 at 5:51 pm | Permalink

    Those look so delicious, I’ll definitely be trying them soon.

  5. Laurel
    Posted May 1, 2011 at 10:14 am | Permalink

    THANK YOU!!! I’ve been wondering whether or not to put my homemade peppermint marshmallows into brownies but was afraid they’d just melt and make a gooey mess. Although brownie flavored gooey messes are good things to incorporate into ice cream when not busy shoveling directly into my maw come to think of it. Just so there’d be no waste you understand. The biggest question here is really how many of those frozen marshmallows will actually make it into the brownies once I have my hands on them. :-)

  6. Paula
    Posted May 2, 2011 at 7:00 pm | Permalink

    These look SO SO good!

  7. Posted May 4, 2011 at 2:57 pm | Permalink

    These brownies are amazing! They really are some of the best and fudgiest brownies I’ve ever had, gluten-filled or otherwise.

    • Posted May 6, 2011 at 1:42 pm | Permalink

      Thank you Julie. I know you take your brownies seriously.

  8. Linda
    Posted May 6, 2011 at 1:37 pm | Permalink

    I made these last night and they were FABULOUS! I used my hand mixer and since I didn’t have any superfine brown rice flour, I used our Vitamix to further grind what I did have on hand. These did not taste like the usual gf fare. Thank you so much. I never thought I could make brownies at home again that weren’t a jiggly pile of goo.

  9. Posted May 11, 2011 at 6:51 am | Permalink

    It’s official – I just fell in love with you and your web site! I actually have tears of joy at discovering not only this brownie recipe but also your link to Dandies!

    I’m one of those crazy new-to-the-scene vegans who makes things from scratch whenever possible (yes, including marshmallows). Some of it is so labor intensive that I’ve had this sinking feeling that tells me, “You will never again make rocky-road brownies.” Imagine how sad that thought was. :(

    Now I have a reason to rejoice! Please, please, PLEASE share more links to vegan products. Please. It would be such a help to us newbies.

    Valerie

    • Posted May 11, 2011 at 12:22 pm | Permalink

      So glad we made you happy, Valerie!
      xo
      kittee

  10. Posted May 27, 2011 at 3:01 am | Permalink

    I’m another that can attest to the amazingness of these brownies. They were a huge hit at the World Wide Vegan Bake Sale in Portland! Thanks for posting the recipe, Kittee!

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