Adventures in Brownies - Take 3

Since I have been avoiding the grocery store lately, I am out of most of my snack foods and have been pantry surfing in between meals with no success. There is however that third box of gluten free brownies that needed to be made. So, I made them to see if they would satisfy my cravings for junk food.

The Betty Crocker Gluten Free Brownie Mix was simple to make - just add melted butter and eggs but no water. Most regular brownie mixes require that you add oil, eggs and water. I was confused with this but went with it. The batter ended up being more like a dough, similar to the Pamela's Products Chocolate Brownie Mix I previously made.

One thing I have noticed about gluten free flours is that they are very, very fine. So fine that when I poured the mix into the bowl you could see the sugar crystals in the brownie mix which is something you don't notice in regular brownie mixes. Being a curious person by nature, I really need Alton Brown to do a show on gluten free baking so I can understand the science behind all of this. I am not understanding the why and how of gluten free baked goods.

The results: These brownies were pretty good. They had a nice chocolate flavor and were fudgie and moist with no unpleasant aftertaste at all. Are they as good as regular brownies? No. Are they a pretty good substitute so I am not "only the kid at the party without cake"? Yes.

I did notice that if you rolled the brownie around on your tongue it was a bit grainy. But if you didn't roll it around on your tongue you don't notice it. So, I will refrain from rolling the brownie around on my tongue in the future.

Another thing I noticed was this brownie was a tad bit sweeter than a regular brownie. And although I don't typically like nuts in my brownies, I think that if you added some walnuts to this mix the sweetness might be cut a little and make a pretty good brownie.

All in all, I am pleased. In fact I am so pleased, I think I may go eat another brownie. :)

Mmmmmm, Brownies - Or Not???

I love brownies and am known for making fabulous brownies. The secret is the pan you use for baking them and blending at least two different kinds of chocolate for a smoother chocolate taste. But brownies are made with wheat flour which means they are not gluten free. :( There are however gluten free brownie mixes. Woohooo!!!!


My entire family had a Mother's Day Cook-Out at my sister's house to celebrate what a wonderful mother we have. I was in charge of the salad and dessert so I thought I would make my "world famous" brownie ice cream sandwiches. What could be better than sitting by the pool and eating brownies and ice cream without any utensils?


The day before the party, I made the regular brownies for the family but tried out two different gluten free mixes for me so I wouldn't be "the only kid at the party without cake". I hate being left out. :)

The first mix was Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Brownie Mix. It is readily available in the health food section of the grocery store and was between $5-$6. Sort of expensive but for an occasional treat it seems reasonable.


It was easy enough to make. You added the normal brownie mix ingredients: egg, warm water, melted butter. And like the Betty Crocker Gluten Free cake mix you had to add vanilla - which isn't typical in regular brownie mixes.

The results: They were moist but cakier than I like my brownies. At first bite, I thought "hmmmm, these are pretty good" but after I swallowed that bite the aftertaste started. It wasn't good. It was like having a chocolate chemical residue in the back of your mouth. And I wasn't the only one who thought this - both my Mom and Dad tried these and cringed at the taste.


The second mix I made was Pamela's Products Chocolate Brownie Mix. It was about a little less than the Bob's Red Mill mix and is also readily available.


You had to add an egg, water, and oil to the mix. There were several different versions on the back of this mix to make it fudgier or cakier or dairy free. I just went with the regular version. The brownie batter wasn't really a batter though - more like a dough that I had to spread out in the pan with a little bit of force. Normal brownie mix usually just spreads out on it's own- it was odd.


Also, this mix only made a pan of 9x9 instead of 9x13. So, it is a bit expensive.

The results: These were fudgie but also inedible. There was a grainy texture and also had this smell that reminded me of carob. (Remember when protein bars first came out and they used carob for the coating. I couldn't stand carob then and I can't stand it now.) I took one bite and spit it out. My Dad tried to eat this brownie and even heated it up in the microwave which usually solves most baked goods problems - it didn't help. We ended up all laughing about all of the faces we made.


As it turned out, I didn't get any of my brownie ice cream sandwiches at our Mother's Day Cook-Out because both brownie mixes weren't worth eating. I was "the only kid at the party without cake". In the end, this is what happened to both batches of brownies -


I haven't given up on having gluten free brownies though. At this very moment, there is a box of Betty Crocker Gluten Free Brownie Mix in my pantry just waiting to be made. Maybe the third time will be the charm. What can I say, I am an optimist. :)