The Fancy Brownie
1-1/3 cups vegetable shortening
10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
4 Ener-G Egg Replacer egg equivalents (see ratio in recipe)
1-1/2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
1-1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped walnuts, optional
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, optional
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan with vegetable shortening. You can also line the pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil that over hang the sides so that after the brownies have cooled you can simple remove the whole batch from the pan. Make sure to grease the parchment/aluminum if you choose this option.
2. Melt together the shortening, semi sweet chocolate, and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl in the microwave. Make sure to go 30 seconds at a time and stir in between each heating to make sure you do not burn the chocolate since the chocolate will melt from the inside out.
3. To prepare the egg replacer, I use a different ratio than is used on the box: For each egg replacer, I whip together 3 teaspoons egg replacer for every 2 tablespoons warm water, so altogether you will use 8 tablespoons of warm water and 12 teaspoons of egg replacer. Whip until frothy. (Note: If you are using a different binder, this double the binder to the same amount of liquid - normally, it's 1-1/2 teaspoons EnerG Egg Replacer per 2 tablespoons water.)
4. Allow the chocolate mixture to cool slightly. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the egg replacer, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
5. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and stir until combined. If you choose to include them, toss the walnuts and chocolate chips in a medium bowl with enough flour to coat, then add them to the chocolate batter. Pour into the baking sheet and spread the brownie dough evenly into the pan.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking pan against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into squares.
Source of recipe: After six attempts in my "test kitchen" over the past two months I may have come up with a vegan brownie recipe that even my Grammy would be proud of. It doesn't crumble once cut and absolutely melts in your mouth. Chemistry and chocolate...that's the ultimate recipe for good eats!
SO HOW'D IT GO?
Unsweetened chocolate is impossible to find here so I used all semisweet and reduced the sugar just a smidge. I also used ground flax instead of ener-g egg replacer, which I always do and it works out fine. I don't see how those changes could have had such a huge effect on the outcome. Are you sure it isn't supposed to say 1/3 cup instead of 1 1/3 cups of shortening? There were literally chunks of shortening in the brownies once they cooled.
Nope, you really do use all of that shortening when you melt it with the chocolate. Once you add the flour mixture at the end the brownie dough will be pretty dense and you almost feel like it is too dense. You literally need to spread it out with a spatula.
Unsweetened chocolate is impossible to find here so I used all semisweet and reduced the sugar just a smidge. I also used ground flax instead of ener-g egg replacer, which I always do and it works out fine. I don't see how those changes could have had such a huge effect on the outcome. Are you sure it isn't supposed to say 1/3 cup instead of 1 1/3 cups of shortening? There were literally chunks of shortening in the brownies once they cooled.
It's too bad that things didn't work out for you. I'm really not sure what went wrong. Did you vary the recipe at all?
I wonder if there is a mistake in the recipe. There is more shortening than flour not to mention the additional fat in the chocolate! *yikes*
Yeah, I was worried about that when I was making them and was tempted to just add more flour... but then I was worried about messing things up... and the photo looks really good. ugh. I put them in the fridge like it said and now they're rock hard. at least I don't have to eat all that fat now!
I wonder if there is a mistake in the recipe. There is more shortening than flour not to mention the additional fat in the chocolate! *yikes*
These did not work at all for me. It was bubbling like crazy while baking and when it cooled the edges were crispy and the middle was drenched in grease. It sort of reminded me of trying to make vegan brownies from a boxed mix. I'm pretty disappointed because I wasted so much chocolate. I should have stuck with the tried and true vegan brownies recipe on here.