Whole Grain Brownies

Yes, you read the title correctly. I too didn't quite believe it either. Instead of using white flour, the recipe uses white whole wheat flour. It still has all of the butter and sugar you'd expect in a brownie recipe. The recipe recommends letting the brownies sit overnight to let the wheat bran relax. I agree, I could taste a difference. That being said, when I make brownies, I want to eat them then and now. I really don't think adding whole wheat flour adds a ton of nutritional benefit to negate the wonderfulness of brownies, so I'll just stick to regular brownies. That being said, these were delicious. Some of my coworkers thought they tasted "coffee-y" and that's probably from the espresso powder. I personally thought the espresso powder brought out the other flavors. This is a great recipe, I'd just use white flour instead so that I don't have to wait for the bran to relax.

Recipe from King Arthur

INGREDIENTS

* 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, I didn't soften mine since I have to melt it anyway.
* 2 cup or 15 ounces light brown sugar
* 3/4 cup or 2 1/4 ounces Dutch-process cocoa
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional but recommended
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
* 4 large eggs
* 1.5 cups or 6 1/4 ounces King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour, organic preferred
* 2 cups or 12 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

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.