Hey friends!  I have an extra special recipe for you to today.  I know there are so many people who are gluten free out there, and I don't have a ton of experience in that area of baking.  I'm hoping to fix that, and have a list of my favourite baked goods that I hope to adapt into a gluten free version.

I thought brownies would be a darn good place to start.  Gooey, chocolatey goodness.  They're pretty difficult to screw up.  I know that a lot of people have opinion on what the perfect brownie structure is....and whether there are nuts involved, or chocolate chips added.  All I can say is these are perfection to me, and a great base if you want to go crazy and add in something extra.

I used coconut flour for this recipe, and it did give the brownies a slight (but not overwhelming) coconut flavour.  This flour is also SUPER absorbent, so you use a lot less than you normally would for a recipe involving all-purpose flour.

gluten free brownies with coconut flour

recipe: kelsey siemens
yields: one 9x13 pan

ingredients

1 cup butter, melted

3 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 eggs

3/4 cup coconut flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp salt

optional for topping:

flaked salt

powdered sugar

directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9x13 baking dish.  You may want to line the whole thing, or simply the bottom with parchment paper as well if you want to remove the entire thing.  I often leave and store in the pan with plastic wrap over top.

In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar, and vanilla extract.  Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing on medium speed until fully incorporated.

In a separate bowl, sift together coconut flour, cocoa powder, and salt.  Gradually add in flour mixture to butter mixture, mixing on low speed.  Mix until just moist, and no flour traces are left.  Be sure to use a spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before cutting and serving.  Sprinkle with flaked salt, and/or powdered sugar.  I love how the salt complements chocolate so well, so don't be afraid to try it!

These are best served warm (and with ice cream).  These will keep for several days in an airtight container, and they also freeze well - just be sure to cut before freezing.

Happy Brownie baking!