Blueberry James Brownies
| Prep Time: 15 min | Serves: 16 |
| Cooking Time: 45 min | Yield: 9 x 13 pan |
the keys to these brownies are quality ingredients and a quality soundtrack (James Brown: Live at the Apollo 1963) -- HIT ME!! adapted from the "Fudgy Wudgy Blueberry Brownie" recipe in Isa Moskowitz and Terry Romero's Veganomicon. photo credit: fiikus on Flickr
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup Vegan Chocolate Chips
- 10 oz Wild Blueberry Fruit Spread
- 1/4 cup Unsweetened Organic Soy Milk
- 3/4 cup Organic Cane Sugar
- 1/3 cup Expeller Pressed Organic Canola Oil
- 1/3 cup Organic Unsweetened Applesauce
- 2 tsp Organic Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Chocolate Extract
- 1/2 tsp Pure Almond Extract
- 1/2 cup Unbleached All-purpose Baking Flour
- 1 cup White Whole Wheat Flour
- 1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1/4 tsp Baking Powder Aluminum Free
- 1/2 tsp Pure Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Table Salt
- 1 cup Frozen Blueberries
- 1/2 cup Organic Chocolate Chips Semi-sweet
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degree F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
Melt the 2/3 cup chocolate chips in a double broiler (or, my favorite stand-by, a heat-safe bowl over a pot of boiling water). You can also microwave to melt the chips. Place in microwave safe bowl, nuke on HIGH for one(1) minute, stir, then nuke for 30 seconds. Whatever method you use, just make sure all the chips are melted down and the mixture is smooth. Set aside.
In a LARGE mixing bowl, combine the blueberry fruit spread, non-dairy milk, sugar, canola oil, and extracts. Mix on HIGH speed with electric mixer for about 2 to 3 minutes.
Sift in the flour, cocoa power, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a fork or wooden spoon (the batter will be too thick for most electric mixers) stir until well mixed/completely incorporated. Mix in the melted chocolate!
Fold in the 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and the 1 cup of blueberries. Spread the batter in the baking pan (don't worry if it doesn't come to the very corners of the pan because the batter will spread while baking and it will all work out.)
Bake for 45 minutes. You can't really do a toothpick test here because the chocolate chips will make the pick look wet and the top will appear soft and crinkly and not done when, they promise you, it is done.
Remove from the oven and let cool. Slice into sixteen(16) squares. If you want to serve it warm, wait about 30 minutes, so it is still warm but not hot. For true decadence, serve with vegan (or non-vegan, if you're into that :3) vanilla ice cream and and a little bit of blueberry syrup or fresh blueberries.
Ana's Notes:
- though I list specific brands (mostly whole foods 365) any quality brands you have access to will be just fine.
- I would definitely stick to real/whole fruit spread; don't substitute just any old jam.
- any non-dairy milk can be substituted
- the chocolate extract is optional, the almond extract isn't but if you don't have it don't worry too much
- you can use just all-purpose flour if that's all you have, or you can use just whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour for extra nutrition. Just be sure you DO NOT use only whole wheat, it's too tough of a texture for these brownies.
- I used frozen blueberries when I made these, because blueberries aren't in season yet, but DEFINITELY spring for FRESH blueberries when you can.
- I topped these brownies with a vegan ganache (see my other recipes), because they were going to a friend who really, really loves chocolate. I had a little bite, and I definitely think the ganache added a little sumthin'-sumthin'