Chocolate Brownies - Five Ways

The Ina Garten Brownie Recipe, Peanut Swirl Brownies, has been my go-to brownie recipe for well over a decade. They are rich. They are fudge-y. They are everything I believe a brownie should be. I have also morphed these brownies into other versions depending on what I was in the mood for… And now I have made them gluten free.

They are also relatively easy to make. I worked overseas for several years and I did not have access to mixer. Thankfully, these brownies didn’t require a mixer, which made them perfect for when I needed to do something “normal” like baking.

Ingredients Notes:

Chocolate Chips: I have had the most consistent results when using Ghiradelli Chocolate Semi-Sweet Chips.

Unsweetened Chocolate: Again, Ghiradelli is the way to go if you are able to find the Unsweetened Baking Bars. I wasn’t able to find Ghiradelli during my recipe testing, so I went with an Organic Brand called Mill City Organics and the brownies turned out really well.

Instant Coffee Granules: You want the plain coffee granules not the instant coffee that is also mixed with dairy. For the recipe testing, I used Delallo Instant Espresso. I have also used simple store brand instant coffee. I know espresso and coffee are different, but I did not notice a difference in the way the brownies turned out. Also, I don’t always want to buy a big thing of instant coffee.

Eggs: The original recipe calls for extra large eggs. I used large eggs and they turned out fine.

Gluten Free Flour Blend: I used my own Gluten Free Flour blend for this. Though, I would find it likely that other flour blends will also work. No guarantees, but definitely give it a shot.

Again, the original recipe is for Peanut Swirl Brownies. I took out the peanut butter and reduced the recipe in half (from a 13 x 18 sheet pan to a 13 x 9 inch cake pan) for the base recipe. So if you want the 13 x 18 inch sheet pan size, you’ll need to double the recipe.

Also, just FYI, I have not once used only 3/4 c. of Peanut Butter that the original recipe called for. I usually ended up using the full 16 oz. container of peanut butter for the 13 x 18 inch sheet pan. I easily used a full cup of peanut butter for the 13 x 9 inch cake pan. So, don’t be shy. The more you use, the longer they may need to bake.

Speaking of baking, do not over bake the brownies. They dry out quickly and that’s a yuck. Once you are nearing the end of baking time for the brownies, the brownies will have a bit of a raise to it, but should not be jiggly. If you move the pan around and they jiggle, then add another 5 minutes to the timer. Check them again. If the brownies start smelling wonderfully in your home, but the timer hasn’t gone off yet, check them for the jiggle test. They may be done early.

Yield: 15

Author: Kari Moore - Begrudgingly Gluten Free

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Brownies - Five Ways!

This Ina Garten recipe gets a gluten free make-over... Along with 5 ways to doctor the brownies up.

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

Ingredients

Plain Brownies

• 1 c. Butter (Unsalted, preferred)
• 8 oz. + 6 oz. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (Divided; Ghiradelli Preferred)
• 3 oz. Unsweetened Chocolate
• 3 ea. Eggs
• 1 1/2 T. Instant Coffee Granules (Instant Espresso Granules works, too)
• 1 T. Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 c. Sugar
• 1/2 c. + 2 T. Gluten Free Flour Blend (Divided)
• 1 1/2 t. Baking Power
• 1/2 t. Kosher Salt

Peanut Swirl Brownies (Ina's Way)

• 1 ea. Plain Brownie Recipe - Prepared/Unbaked
• 1 c. Peanut Butter (Creamy, Preferred)

Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies

• 1 ea. Plain Brownie Recipe - Prepared/Unbaked
• 2 T. Cinnamon
• 1/2 t. Cayenne Pepper (more if that's your thing)

S'Mores Brownies

• 10.5 oz. GF Graham Cracker Crumbs (I like Kinnikinnick brand)
• 5 T. Butter, Melted
• 1/3 c. Sugar
• 1 ea. Plain Brownie Recipe - Prepared/Unbaked
• 20 ea. Regular Marshmallows

Cheesecake Brownies

• 1 ea. Plain Brownies - Prepared/Unbaked
• 8 oz. Regular Cream Cheese
• 1/2 c. Sugar
• 1 ea. Large Egg
• 1 t. Vanilla Extract

Instructions

Plain Brownies

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour a 13 by 9 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan/baking pan. (Pan Spray also works)
2. Melt together the butter, 8 oz of chocolate chips, and the 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water. Allow to cool slightly.
3. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.
4. In a medium bowl, sift together 1/2 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture.
5. Toss the remaining 6 oz. of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 2 T. of flour, then add them to the chocolate batter. If you are making one of the other versions, this is where you should switch to that part of the recipe.
6. Pour brownie batter into the prepared sheet pan.
7. Bake for 15 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes more. The brownies will have a bit of a raise to it, but should not be jiggly. If you can smell the brownies and the timer hasn't gone off, check them. Do not over bake! Any time I have waited for a toothpick to come out clean, the brownies were overcooked.
8. Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into large squares. I do find it easier to cut the brownies before they are cooled completely. That said, definitely let them cool entirely before eating. Maybe even the next day after they have been refrigerated.

Peanut Swirl Brownies (Ina's Way)

1. Follow Plain Brownie Recipe to prepare the Brownie Batter.
2. Pour brownie batter into the prepared sheet pan.
3. Take the Peanut Butter and place large dollops around the top of the brownie batter. (Also, don't be shy about using more peanut butter).
4. Using a knife, swirl the peanut butter in with the brownie batter.
5. Bake for 15 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes more. The brownies will have a bit of a raise to it, but should not be jiggly. If you can smell the brownies and the timer hasn't gone off, check them. Do not over bake! Any time I have waited for a toothpick to come out clean, the brownies were overcooked.
6. Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into large squares. I do find it easier to cut the brownies before they are cooled completely. That said, definitely let them cool entirely before eating. Maybe even the next day after they have been refrigerated.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies

1. Follow Plain Brownie Recipe to prepare the Brownie Batter.
2. Add the Cinnamon and Cayenne Pepper into the brownie batter.
3. Pour brownie batter into the prepared sheet pan.
4. Take the Peanut Butter and place large dollops around the top of the brownie batter. (Also, don't be shy about using more peanut butter).
5. Using a knife, swirl the peanut butter in with the brownie batter.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes more. The brownies will have a bit of a raise to it, but should not be jiggly. If you can smell the brownies and the timer hasn't gone off, check them. Do not over bake! Any time I have waited for a toothpick to come out clean, the brownies were overcooked.
7. Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into large squares. I do find it easier to cut the brownies before they are cooled completely. That said, definitely let them cool entirely before eating. Maybe even the next day after they have been refrigerated.

S'Mores Brownies

1. Follow Plain Brownie Recipe to prepare the Brownie Batter.
2. In a separate bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar. Mix until well combined.
3. Press the graham cracker crumb mixture into the bottom of the greased cake pan.
4. Pour brownie batter into the prepared cake pan on top of the graham cracker crust. Smooth out the top.
5. Bake for 15 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes more. The brownies will have a bit of a raise to it, but should not be jiggly. If you can smell the brownies and the timer hasn't gone off, check them. Do not over bake! Any time I have waited for a toothpick to come out clean, the brownies were overcooked.
6. Pull the brownies out of the oven. Arrange the marshmallows on top of the brownies so that there will be about 1 marshmallow per brownie.
7. Turn on the oven broiler and move the over rack to the 2nd slot from the top. If it's too close, the marshmallows will burst into the flames. Carefully (!!!) place the pan of brownies under the broiler. It may help to do one row at a time and shift the pan over. Look for a light golden brown color. You can do more if you're feeling brave. Just make sure you don't burn the top of the brownies while you're toasting the marshmallows.
8. Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into large squares. I do find it easier to cut the brownies before they are cooled completely. That said, definitely let them cool entirely before eating. Maybe even the next day after they have been refrigerated.

Cheesecake Brownies

1. Follow Plain Brownie Recipe to prepare the Brownie Batter.
2. what Pour brownie batter into the prepared sheet pan.
3. In a stand-mixer or with a hand-mixer, combine cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy. You'll need to scrap the beaters and sides of the bowl a couple times to make sure you get all of the cream cheese chunks.
4. Add the egg and the vanilla. Cream together until well combined.
5. Take the Cheesecake Batter and place large dollops around the top of the brownie batter.
6. Using a knife, swirl the Cheesecake Batter in with the brownie batter. Make sure to leave big swirls of cheesecake.
7. Bake for 15 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes more. The brownies will have a bit of a raise to it, but should not be jiggly. If you can smell the brownies and the timer hasn't gone off, check them. Do not over bake! Any time I have waited for a toothpick to come out clean, the brownies were overcooked.
8. Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into large squares. I do find it easier to cut the brownies before they are cooled completely. That said, definitely let them cool entirely before eating. Maybe even the next day after they have been refrigerated.