Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownies

Rich and gooey on the inside, with a delicious light crust. Everything a chocolate brownie should be.

Vegetarian. Hands-on time: 10 mins. Total time: 40 mins.

Contributed by Janey Macleod (March 2009).

These chocolate brownies really are delicious. In fact, this is the best brownie recipe I know. The fact that they're gluten-free and wheat-free does nothing to detract from their rich taste and their superb texture.

The secret of this recipe (and all others for chocolate-based cakes) is to use the highest-quality chocolate you can lay your hands on. It should have a minimum of 70 percent cocoa solids. It's true that it will be expensive, but you only need a small quantity to make these brownies really special.

Ingredients

• 2 oz (50 g) good-quality chocolate (check the label to ensure it's gluten-free, if that's important to you)
• ½ cup (4 oz, 110 g) butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup (6½oz, 190 g) superfine (caster) sugar
• 2 large eggs
• ¾ cup (3 oz, 75 g) ground almonds
• 1½ tsp. gluten-free baking powder
• 1 cup (3½ oz, 100 g) chopped walnuts (optional)

Method

Oven: Pre-heat to 350F (180C)

Start by gently melting the chocolate, either in a heatproof bowl over a pan of boiling water or in a microwave oven.

Cream the butter and sugar together. Beat the eggs, and add them to the butter / sugar mixture, along with the melted chocolate. Stir in the remaining ingredients.

Spread the mixture into an 8-inch (20 cm) oiled baking tin. Bake for 30 minutes. Leave to cool in the tin before cutting into squares.

Note on quantities and temperatures:
Quantities are given in American (cups), imperial (oz, fl oz) and metric (g, ml) units. Do not mix the units - use one or other system throughout the recipe.
See also How much does a cup weigh?
oz = ounces, fl oz = fluid ounces, g = grams, ml = milliliters, tsp = teaspoons, tbsp = tablespoons.
Oven temperatures are given in degrees F (Fahrenheit) and C (Celsius).
For fan-assisted ovens, reduce the temperature by 20F or 10C.