Lactose-Free Brownies
Brownies (Brownie) — for those who don’t yet know them — are delicious little chocolate treats typical of American tradition.
At first glance they might look like a cake cut into squares, but in reality they are much, much more.
They take their name from their dark color — hence the expression “brownie”.
Their characteristic is that they have a soft, tender interior enclosed by a crisp crust, and they literally melt in your mouth!
Their origin is curious.
They seem to have been born in Chicago in 1893 thanks to a lady (Miss Palmer) who asked her pastry chef to make a dessert as good as a cake but as handy as a cookie so she could easily take it to the reception celebrating the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America.
But enough chat: after this little cultural tasting, let’s move on to what really matters: preparing these treats.
Today we will prepare chocolate brownies in a lactose-free version, due to lactose intolerance issues of both me and my son, but I assure you they are in no way inferior to the traditional ones, and I will also suggest other super-tasty variations.
Ready? Then let’s begin.
Lactose-Free Brownies
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Rest time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: about 16 brownies
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: International
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup vegetable margarine (or butter for those without lactose intolerance (about 6.3 oz))
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 eggs (large)
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 5.3 oz 70% dark chocolate
- 3.5 oz hazelnuts
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
Brownies Preparation
Since the procedure is very easy and quick, I recommend first preheating the oven to 338°F (conventional/static setting).
Now we can prepare the batter.
First, melt the margarine in the microwave or in a small saucepan over a bain-marie, taking care not to burn it.
Then combine the sugar with the melted margarine and mix everything together.
In another bowl, add the flour (previously sifted with the baking powder), the vanilla extract and the eggs, and mix the ingredients together.
Add the margarine-and-sugar mixture to the batter and stir again.
Chop the dark chocolate and the hazelnuts with a knife; they should not become a powder.
In the bowl with the batter, fold in the chocolate, the hazelnuts and the cocoa powder, and mix well.
At this point, take a rectangular 6 in x 10 in (15 cm x 25 cm) pan and line it with parchment paper.
Pour the batter into the pan and level it with a spatula to distribute it evenly.
Bake in a conventional/static oven at 338°F for about 30–35 minutes. Do the toothpick test.
Then remove the brownies from the oven and let them cool completely.
To make the classic cubes, make 3 horizontal and 3 vertical cuts at equal distances to obtain brownies of the same size.
If you liked this recipe, also check https://blog.giallozafferano.it/atavolacontea/ricetta-biscotti-cookies-facili-e-veloci/
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STORAGE
You can store the brownies in a tin box for 3–4 days.
Alternatively, you can also freeze them once baked.
TIPS AND VARIATIONS
If you want, you can prepare DOUBLE-CHOCOLATE BROWNIES (white and dark).
In this case, once you have the base batter, divide it into two equal bowls and add the dark chocolate and hazelnuts to one, and the white chocolate and hazelnuts to the other.
When you put the batter into the pan, start with the dark mixture and then spoon the white-chocolate mixture on top in dollops.
APRICOT AND ALMOND BROWNIES
In this case, replace the hazelnuts in the recipe with 50 g (about 1.8 oz) dried apricots and 50 g (about 1.8 oz) chopped almonds, and otherwise follow the recipe.
RED FRUITS AND HAZELNUT BROWNIES
In this case use only 50 g (about 1.8 oz) hazelnuts and replace the remaining portion with another 50 g (about 1.8 oz) dried blueberries or other dried red fruits; otherwise follow the recipe.
