Whole-Grain Brownies

I love to bake. I love to bake things that taste good. I also love to bake things that taste good and that can be good for you as well. Now don't get me wrong, I love the sugary, white flour desserts just as much as the next person down the line but if it can be made a little healthier and without compromising taste, I'm ALL for it. Up till now, I've honestly had trouble finding recipes where whole grain flour can be substituted for all-purpose bleached. Usually "those" kind of recipes are formulated more for health than taste and it shows. Pretty much any attempt on my own has ended in defeat as well. Yeah, those amazing soft, chewy, flaky sugar cookies?! Dark, dense, flat and coarse when made with whole-grain flour. Just not the same. So, when I came across King Arthur Flour's recipe for whole-grain brownies, I was a little skeptical. I knew they had a published recipe book with tons of whole-grain baking recipes but I honestly doubted how good they could be. Nevertheless, they seemed easy enough and the ingredient list was relatively small so I gave them a whirl. Let me tell you, they were fantastic! The only negative thing about them was waiting the 24 hours for the bran to soften! If you're contemplating trying your hand at whole-grain baking, I would definitely recommend these!

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups light brown sugar

3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional but recommended

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour, organic preferred

2 cups of chips, nuts, dried fruit, whatever you'd like!

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan; line the pan with parchment paper if desired.

2. In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine.

3. Return the mixture to the heat (or microwave) briefly just till it's hot (about 110°F to 120°F) but not bubbling. Don't worry if it separates; just stir it briefly to recombine a bit. Heating this mixture a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.

4. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and stir in the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder if using, and vanilla.

5. Add the eggs, stirring till smooth.

6. Then add the flour and chips, again stirring till smooth. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

7. Bake the brownies for 30 minutes, until a cake tester or sharp knife poked into the center reveals wet crumbs, but not raw batter. The brownies should feel set on the edges and in the center. Remove them from the oven, and cool completely on a rack.

8. Cover and let sit overnight before cutting and serving; this gives the bran a chance to soften and become "invisible" in your mouth.

Yield: 2 dozen 2" brownies.