Gluten Free Autumn Desserts and Treats Part 1

I love food storage. I love chocolate.  And I love autumn.  Now let's put the three together and make something delicious to enjoy with a nice hot cup of tea or coffee on a chilly day.  I have to be honest right from the start, this recipe is only about 60% home storage products (Cacao, Sugar, Vanilla, Gluten Free Flour) because there is nothing better than using real butter and fresh eggs in a fudgy brownie recipe, and it is one of my absolute favorites.   I love this recipe because it is gluten free, quick, AND delicious!

Gluten Free Fudge Brownies
16 Brownies

1/2 Cup plus 2 Tbsp Butter, melted
6 Tbsp Cacao powder (preferred over cocoa, but cocoa can be substituted)
1 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 Cup Gluten Free Flour

Pour Melted butter into mixing bowl, add cacao and mix well. Mix in sugar and vanilla. Add flour and then 2 eggs and gently mix until combined. Spread in a buttered 9X9 square baking dish. Bake in 350 degree F oven for 20+/- minutes until just done, but still soft and fudgy. Allow to cool and cut into 16 squares. Enjoy!

NOTE: I have made this recipe using olive oil instead of melted butter.  I cut back the fat to just the 1/2 Cup and mix.  It is a bit thicker to spread, but is not as greasy when baked as if you used the full 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp of oil.  You can also substitute the full amount of fat with coconut oil, if you would prefer.  But this will impart a distinct coconut flavor - which is not a bad thing! 

I also have cut the sugar back to just around 2/3 cup to reduce the sweet and make a more bitter-sweet or darker brownie.  This can also be done in conjunction with the oil instead of butter. 

Although these substitutions work well, I do find that there is nothing like genuine eggs.  I have used powdered, but it produces a slightly more cake-like brownie over fudge brownie.