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Vegan Brookie – where brownies meet chocolate chip pan cookies

vegan brookie

vegan brookie

Once people hear that I bake vegan at high altitude, I am often asked if I also bake gluten-free. My baking style is complicated, and using gluten-free flour can have it’s own challenges. But I am nothing if not crazy for a challenge (or, perhaps, a glutton for punishment). So, when I discovered Otto’s Naturals cassava flour I went in search of a new recipe.

First I examined the flour. Cassava flour seemed like an interesting alternative flour in that it is grain-free, gluten-free, vegan, and allergen-free. I found a recipe that made brookies with almond flour, another alternate in the baking world, and I looked into almond flour to see how the two differed so I could tweak the recipe. You would have thought I should take it slow, never having tried the recipe or cassava flour. No, I jumped right in. I should have known better.

The first attempt was an absolute failure. But I had done my scientific research! I found out that cassava flour should easily replace all-purpose flour, but almond flour was more grainy and oily. So I made adjustments, but didn’t listen to my instincts. It was too dry. As in Sahara Desert dry.

For the second attempt I turned to my Chewy Vegan Brownies. The layers weren’t to be chewy, so I dialed back on that aspect. The new brookies were less dry and tasted better yet they were somewhat rubbery. It was time to delve further into my own past bakes.

My Brown Butter Blondies had good texture and baked well, so I used them as a modified template. Next I adjusted for the starchiness of the cassava flour. A little of this and a dab of that and I achieved a measure of success. The next, and final round, had a little more of this and a bigger dab of that to create a tasty vegan brookie that was also gluten-free.

The lesson here — to say no to gluten-free vegans? No, definitely not. What I really learned was that I am allowed to try, and try, and try again. Also, that I should listen to that inner voice and start experiments with something simple, like a cookie.

Until next time, happy baking!

vegan brookie
Print Recipe

Vegan Brookie - where brownies meet chocolate chip pan cookies

Once people hear that I bake vegan at high altitude, I am often asked if I also bake gluten-free. My baking style is complicated, and using gluten-free flour can have it’s own challenges. But I am nothing if not crazy for a challenge (or, perhaps, a glutton for punishment). So, when I discovered Otto’s Naturals cassava flour I went in search of a new recipe.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Vegan
Keyword: Baking, Bar Cookies, Blondies, Brownies, Chocolate, Gluten Free, High Altitude, Recipe
Servings: 8 people
Author: The Decadent Vegan Baker

Equipment

  • 1 8 x 8-inch baking pan

Ingredients

for the chocolate chip cookie layer:

  • 3/4 cup cassava flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed organic light brown sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
  • 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil melted
  • 5 tablespoons vegan chocolate chips

for the brownie layer:

  • 3/4 cup cassava flour
  • 1/4 cup dutch process cocoa powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup organic sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 cup + 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
  • 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil melted
  • 1 tablespoons vegan mini chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8 x 8-inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper with a bit of extra paper on two opposite sides. (This helps to remove the baked brookies from the pan). Set aside.

For the cookie layer:

  • Sift the cassava flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and brown sugar together into a medium bowl. Add the vanilla, non-dairy milk, and melted coconut oil. Stir with a spatula until well combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir until incorporated. Set aside.

For the brownie layer:

  • Sift the cassava flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar together into a medium bowl. Add the vanilla, maple syrup, non-dairy milk, and melted coconut oil. Stir with a spatula until well combined. Add the mini chocolate chips and stir until incorporated.

To assemble the brookie:

  • Dump the brownie batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Dump the cookie batter over the brownie batter and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 26 to 28 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the brookie is starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. Place the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes to cool, then lift the brookies out of the pan by the excess parchment paper and place them on a wire rack. Let the brookies cool completely before cutting.
  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge or on the counter for up to 3 days.

Coming Back From a Failed Kitchen Experiment

Coming Back From a Failed Kitchen Experiment
Coming Back From a Failed Kitchen Experiment

I love to fiddle with new ingredients or combinations in an attempt to make a recipe vegan. Sometimes I get a wacky baking idea in my head. Will a flax egg and extra oil work in place of a chicken egg? … it depends. Do all vegan butter substitutes work the same? … not really. Can I use chickpea liquid and soy creamer to get a whipped cream with stiff peaks? … definitely not.

That last concept popped into my head the other day while trying to make a raw cheesecake without coconut oil. While working towards a thickened batter I even went so far as to add melted cocoa butter. The entire project was a disaster. It deflated a bit, then got lumpy, then turned into something resembling a thin pudding.

Not one to waste expensive ingredients, I put my creation in the fridge hoping that a novel dessert image would pop into my head. Genius struck when I realized that it was Pi Day (March 14, a.k.a. 3.14). My glop would become a pie! Well, more of a tart, but at least I would have an edible treat. And, seeing as Saint Patrick’s Day was also looming, a bit of green was added in the form of matcha tea powder.

So, I went from a creative wreck to a celebration of Pi Day and St. Patrick’s Day. This meandering path often happens when I’m experimenting in the kitchen, although I won’t bore you with the countless steps and added ingredients I went through along the way. The above photo shows that some baking catastrophes can be averted, even edible, but others are not as lucky. Those failures never make it to a photo shoot.

Until next time, happy experimenting!

Becoming a Better Baker

cocoa testing

Becoming a Better Baker: cocoa test

If you have searched through my blog archives, you will see that I have been writing posts for quite some time. I began by adapting my favorite baked recipes through trial and error —countless trials leading to many errors. There were tips I tried and suggestions that I followed. Many of the strategies were used multiple times and in varying recipes. All of these experiments led to my becoming wiser and my belly getting fuller.

After time I learned to understand my altitude, my oven, and even the brands of products that I used in baking. Each variation had subtle differences that I would not have experienced had I not gone exploring. Sometimes cracks in the surface of a baked good would appear, other times cracks would go away. With some recipes I created a good item, and with other recipes I created real winners. But, my approach to baking always included a bit of guesswork along with the mathematical conversions. So, I decided to up my game.

For the past few months I have been taking an online vegan dessert class at Rouxbe Culinary School. The students are taught the fundamentals of the how and why of dessert creation. We are given basic instruction in the ways of a pastry cook, although I believe I am currently the only one dealing with high altitude. Fortunately I have baked enough at higher altitudes that I can put my spin on my assignments.

What does this mean for you, my hungry reader? My recipes will be more refined as I will be armed with the knowledge I get from the class. I have learned to be more precise (Is dutch process cocoa or natural cocoa best in the recipe? Should a sugar be ground first?), and this will lead to recipes that are easier for you to replicate. My wish is that I can offer recipes that you can successfully enjoy.

Forgive me, but I must go now. I have a cake to bake for class …

Is the Decadent Vegan Baker going gluten-free?

chocolate cupcake, free of everything

Image courtesy of Christa at flickr.com

When I first moved to high altitude, people were excited to hear that I was making exquisite baked treats that were vegan and worked at mountain heights. Now, with the surge of gluten-free eaters, I am constantly asked if my baked goods are gluten-free. My response is usually a sigh as I haven’t reached that lofty goal yet.

In an effort to please several gluten-free friends, I have researched gluten-free recipes. My oven has even seen a test or two. Unfortunately the results have been disastrous. The textures are insanely odd as I have trouble resolving the vegan issues in a high altitude gluten-free recipe. The only thing I have ever baked in my life that went straight into the trash was a high altitude, vegan, gluten-free brownie. It was closer to molten lava than any brownie ever made.

But, if you are gluten-free, don’t give up on me. I enjoy a challenge and have started to explore the particular science of gluten-free baking as it pertains to high altitude. I need to wrap my head around that before I can then try veganizing a recipe because eggs provide great structure that gluten-free takes away from a recipe. Also, gluten-free flours don’t react with liquids the same as their gluten-filled cousins do, thus exacerbating the dryness found at higher altitudes.

If there is one thing I have learned in adapting my baking to being vegan and being successful at high altitude, it’s that chemistry will always prevail. As long as the various scientific aspects are taken into account, then baking can be a piece of cake, or muffin, or brownie.

From slice-and-bake to vegan

My first baking memoriesbaking equipment are from when I was 12 and made cakes from box mixes and slice-and-bake cookies. It wasn’t long before I began to look at recipes as a starting point that could use a special touch. I added M&Ms to cookie dough and mint extract to fudge. My family loved sweets and all experiments were happily gobbled up.

Zip ahead a few decades and you’ll find me into all kinds of gastronomic adventures. When my husband and I first dated I asked him over for a home-cooked meal. He said, “Sounds good. What are you making?” I replied, “I’ll let you know when I’m done.” (Don’t worry—dinner was great).

Present time has me living in Boulder, Colorado. I moved here from Santa Fe, New Mexico and both offered challenges…baking at high altitude in low humidity. I bake vegan for health reasons, so that added another layer to the baking puzzle. I accepted the challenge head-on and started experimenting. After practicing on some recipes I started this blog to share the pleasure and pain as I chart my progress.