Flourless Brownies with Ganache


On the occasion of our wedding anniversary, I perfected a recipe for flourless brownies. I tried one recipe in a trial run that was based on cocoa and those turned out bitter and dry. This recipe was just about perfect--thank you, Nicole Hunn. The only modifications I made were to substitute some coconut sugar for white sugar and to use semi-sweet chocolate in the ganache. Though a ganache topping sounds like it would be gilding the lily too much, it actually balances out the dark chocolate of the brownie nicely.


Flourless Brownies with Ganache
From Gluten-free on a Shoestring
Makes 16 very rich brownies, or 32 small bars

10 oz dark chocolate, chopped (I used a Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate bar)
4 Tblsp butter, sliced into 4 pieces
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup cocoa powder (Dutch-processed is preferable)
1/4 tsp salt

6 oz semi-sweet chocolate (I used chocolate chips)
1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degree, rack in the middle. Line the bottom of an 8x8" pan with a strip of parchment paper so that it overhangs on two sides and spray lightly with cooking spray.

Melt the chocolate and the butter in a double-boiler (if you don't have one, fill a saucepan with 2" of water and set a metal mixing bowl in it). Stir until smooth. Add the sugar, stir to mix and lift the bowl out of the hot water bath and set aside. The sugar may look grainy, but that's okay.

In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs and vanilla extract on medium speed for a minute until frothy. Add the cocoa and salt and beat on low, another minute. Add the melted chocolate mixture and beat for 2-3 minutes on medium-high until the mixture is glossy and smooth.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, smooth the top with a rubber scraper and tap it against a flat surface to release air bubbles. Bake for 22 minutes, until the center is set and feels firm when pressed. Cool the brownies in the pan on a wire rack.

When the brownies are cool, make the ganache by heating the cream in a small pan until simmering. Add the chocolate, remove from heat and stir until thick and smooth. Pour the ganache over the brownies in the pan. Cover the pan with foil and allow to set in the fridge for an hour or longer.

Lift the brownies out of the pan by the parchment paper. Slice into squares or smaller bar shapes (these are incredibly rich) with a sharp wet knife. Serve at room temperature or store chilled.