No, these brownies don’t contain strawberries….but I have been throwing these beauties on everything…literally! To my salads…my desserts..my breakfast…I guess my dal tadka is the only thing that is yet to be introduced to them berries 😂😂😂😂😂….
Anyways…we love a good brownie..so much less job than doing a proper cake and a lot more chocolatier than a chocolate cake even! It’s gooey and the flavours are so much more intense….if you know what I mean.
The texture of this heavenly slice speaks for itself, doesn’t it!? And …this also has some Wholewheat flour…I mean I always to make a Wholewheat brownie but wasn’t sure if the texture so I tried using APF (maida) and wholewheat in 50:50 ratio. The first attempt was sad… I didn’t like the look of the brownie and neither was flavour sitting right due to the texture!
In my first attempt, I had obviously over beaten the mixture which resulted in really uneven and gritty (read rough) textured brownies. Also, the butter was slightly too warm than necessary and that too was an issue.
So, my second attempt which followed the first one in just 2 days, as I was curious to make it work. And work it did! I kept everything ready as always and kept reminding myself that I need to go slow instead of my quick ways! So, if you do try this recipe please follow the steps carefully. This time I didn’t over beat the mixture and carefully checked the temperature of the butter before proceeding to the subsequent additions.
In my personal opinion, they could look a little better but working with wholewheat and APF that too with out eggs is a bit difficult for me….needs more practice!
Overall the taste was good and the sweetness just right…I guess that’s what matters the most ☺😁😁
Few things to remember-
Use a good quality cocoa powder in this recipe as that is what adds the real taste.
Line the baking pan well with parchment or baking paper or dust the baking pan carefully with the flour to avoid the brownie to stick to it post baking. There is nothing worse than a good brownie getting ruined because it was sticking to the baking pan.
Never over beat the brownie mixture/ batter. It results in dry brownies.
Never over bake the brownie. That will again make it dry and very crumbly.
Let’s bake you a brownie!
Yield : 9 large or 12 small square slices
Equipment: baking pan (I used 7″ square pan), parchment paper/ baking paper, measuring cups/ spoons, heat proof bowl (or used stainless steel bowl), a saucepan, large mixing bowl, silicon spatula, a small wired whisk, cooling rack.
Ingredients:
7 tbsp maida (APF)
6tbsp wholewheat flour (I used Aashirwaad select flour)
6+1/2 tbsp cocoa powder (I used Cadbury’s)
7 tbsp butter (unsalted)
1/2 cup thick yogurt (I used homemade curd which I hung in a muslin cloth for 15 mins to get rid of any water)
4-5 tbsp milk at room temperature (optional, to be used only if the batter gets to thick/ dry)
1 cup powdered sugar (add more or less as per your preference)
1 tsp vanilla extract/ essence
1 tsp baking powder
any nuts or chocolate chips, etc. of your choice can be added to the batter!! 😁
Method:
Line the pan with parchment paper/ baking paper. Alternatively, grease it with some oil and dust it generously with maida (APF). Set it aside.
Pre-heat the oven @180’c.
Heat 1 cup of water in the saucepan, it should not be boiling hot, just gentle bubbles are enough. Place a heatproof or stainless steel bowl on top of the saucepan in such a way that the base of the bowl I’d 2-3 inches above the level of the water below in the pan (method is called bain-mariè).
Add butter in the bowl. Let the butter melt and simultaneously whisk it very gently to give an even texture. Be careful while doing this as the water below must not enter the bowl with the butter.
Once the butter has melted completely, add powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Whisk again. The mixture will first look a little rough but keep whisking gently, it will turn out very smooth. Take the bowl off the saucepan now. Set this bowl aside to cool down for a few minutes.
Then add the yogurt and vanilla extract at this stage. Whisk again and make sure the batter is smooth. Next, seive in the APF and wholewheat flour along with baking powder.
Now keep the whisk aside and use a silicone or wooden spatula and gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Do not over mix. (If you feel the batter is way too thick and dry, add 3-4 tbsp milk in to batter and fold the batter gently. This step is optional, I added 1 tbsp of milk as that much was enough).
Pour the batter into the lined baking pan. Tap the pan a few times on the platform to release any air bubbles. 👆🏼
Bake @180’c for 25-30 mins using just the lower heating elements/ rods. Once it’s ready, do a toothpick test – The test is different here, when the brownie is ready, the toothpick inserted in the centre must come out with some moist batter or crumbs. The toothpick must not come out clean. If it comes out clean, means the brownie has been over cooked.
That is what my brownie looked like just out of the oven 👆🏼
Remove the ready brownie from the oven and set it on the cooling rack for 15 mins. Then place it in the refrigerator for an hour. Then cut in to slices and remove from the pan. (Refrigeration ensures clean slices!)
Wow! I am still drooling at the thought of these….😋😋
If you liked these then you must try Loaded MnM Oreo Bars or Nutties Brownie too!
Looking for something more decadent….try my gooey Brownie Muffins.
Love,
Shreya❤
Polka Puffs! 