cook like james

In addition to “chewy”, “rich”, and “moist”, you can almost add “healthy” to the list of adjectives for these delicious brownies. The recipe is from one of my favorite baking cookbooks that my sister gave me years ago - King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking: Delicious Recipes Using Nutritious Whole Grains. http://amzn.to/qHgQPN 

Download Chewy Nut Blond Brownies recipe

½ cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter

2 cups (15 ounces) packed dark brown sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tablespoon vinegar, preferably apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 ½  cups (6 ounces) traditional whole wheat flour

1 ½ (5 ½ ounces) chopped pecans or walnuts

1. Adjust rack to center position and preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch pan.

2. Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl or in a saucepan set over low heat. Remove from the heat and add the sugar, mixing until well blended. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and let it cool to lukewarm.

3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vinegar, vanilla, baking powder and salt. Stir in the flour and nuts. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.

4. Bake until the top looks shiny, 26 to 28 minutes. Don't overbake; bake just until the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan and a sharp knife tip poked into the very center reveals sticky crumbs but not wet batter.

5. Remove from the oven and run a knife all around the edge of the pan; this will help keep the brownies flat as they cool, by allowing the edges to settle in the pan along with the middle. Cool completely before cutting. If you prefer squares with a very smooth texture, wait 24 hours before cutting; this waiting period gives the bran in the whole wheat time to soften up.