Guest post from Michelle of The Willing Cook
Traditions are a big part of our Christmas celebrations and observances. Just saying that probably stirs up a few images in your head.
My Papaw was a hard worker and Godly man. He had one of the greatest Puritan libraries of anyone I’ve known, and he read every single book in it. At this time of year, his favorite work was ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. He had every single word of it memorized. I love carrying on his tradition by reading it to my children on Christmas Eve. Perhaps over time I can memorize it just like my Papaw.
Traditions also come to us through food. I’ve shared several of my Granny’s recipes lately (Traditional Pumpkin Roll and Chicken & Dumpling Soup), made with my allergy-friendly twist.
After leaving the coalmines of West Virginia, my grandparents went to a boarding school where my Papaw was the groundskeeper and my Granny, the cook. The recipe I’m sharing with you today has its roots from the hallowed halls of that boarding school many decades past. The original brownie recipe can beat out any brownie recipe that I know with its perfect chewiness and thick, smooth chocolate icing.
I’ve given the recipe a seasonal twist by adding a peppermint flavor. I also converted the recipe to be free of gluten, dairy, peanut, egg, and so on.
Whatever the traditions in your home, enjoy every minute of them! Pass them on to your children and the friends with whom you share the joy and wonder of Christmas. Perhaps someday they’ll recite ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” with their own children.
Peppermint Fudge Brownies
Makes one 9″ x 13″ pan of brownies.
Brownie Ingredients
- 4 eggs or EnerG Egg Replacer (6 tsp powder + 8 Tbsp water)
- 1 cup non-dairy butter/margarine or oil, softened
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar (or cut the sugar in half and replace with honey or maple syrup)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 1/2 cup tapioca flour
- 7 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
Icing Ingredients
- 1 cup powdered sugar (make corn-free powdered sugar by grinding granulated sugar in a coffee bean grinder)
- 4 Tbsp non-dairy butter/margarine, softened
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 2-4 Tbsp hot water or non-dairy milk
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk egg or egg replacer in mixing bowl until frothy. Add softened butter (or oil) and applesauce; mix well. Add brown sugar; mix well. Add vanilla and peppermint extracts; mix well.
3. To the wet ingredients, add dry ingredients — brown rice flour, tapioca flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Beat well (batter will be rather thin).
4. Pour batter into a greased 9×13 pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool.
5. While brownies are cooling, chop your peppermints into bite-sized pieces. I used about 18-20 Soft Peppermint Puffs and chopped them with a knife. Set aside.
6. Make icing: Mix together the powdered sugar and cocoa. Add in your softened butter and vanilla; mix together. Slowly add in hot water or milk while stirring. Stir and add in more water until you achieve a creamy icing consistency.
7. Once brownies have cooled, spread icing on top and sprinkle with chopped peppermints. Refrigerate about 30 minutes so chocolate stiffens a little. Remove from refrigerator and serve at room temperature.
To Freeze:
I recommend leaving the brownies as a whole by removing them from the baking dish and wrapping tightly in plastic wrap. You could also leave them in the baking dish and cover tightly then freeze. Do not freeze the icing and peppermints. Remove the brownies from the freezer to thaw. Once thawed, add icing and peppermints.
Enjoy the wonderful flavors of Christmas in this Peppermint Fudge Brownie!
Michelle is blessed to stay home with her three children (ages 10, 7, and 4), while her husband works to provide. When she’s not experimenting with allergy-friendly meals, she’s blogging about it at The Willing Cook. Through the Willing Cook, her hope is that you gain peace of mind in your kitchen (and your pocket book) and are able to serve those you love who suffer with food allergies.
