Brownies with coconut oil

We bring a recipe you won't be able to resist: chocolate brownie recipe with coconut oil, an explosive combination. If brownies have always been one of those desserts you can't resist sinking your teeth into, this recipe, with a touch of coconut, will make you fall in love! It's brought to us by Rosa, from Pemberley Cup&Cakes, go for it!

To you, like me, who enjoy classic recipes and, of course, discovering new ones, don't you sometimes wonder how many more brownie recipes can still surprise you? We both know, or rather suspect, that the list will probably be endless. And this is where I come in with this new brownie recipe for which I used La Tourangelle virgin coconut oil instead of the usual butter. If you haven't tried it yet, I really encourage you to see what I mean; besides avoiding dairy derivatives, it gives a very subtle flavor that you'll appreciate even if you're not entirely enthusiastic about coconut.

Despite the great similarity among that myriad of recipes, broadly speaking, one could say that there are two varieties of brownies in terms of texture: the more cake-like and fluffy ones and the dense, fudgy ones. I, personally, am undoubtedly among the fans of the second type; I love how their velvety texture melts in the mouth with each bite, so the recipe I bring you today belongs to this group. In any case, the preparation and ingredients are the same; the trick is to play with the ratio of fats to flour (see Notes below*).

Finally, if we delve a little deeper, we also find some controversy regarding the use of certain ingredients that are often included. To start, we'll take the example of baking powder. Purists believe that it should never be added to an authentic brownie, since it's not really about making a chocolate cake. It's a brownie. Along the same lines, there's another passionate debate: nuts—yes or no? Again, originally, it seems they weren't part of the recipe, but of course that doesn't mean you can't add them if you want an extra touch of texture and flavor.

And having said that, now tell me, what's your kind of brownie? As you can see, when choosing, nothing is set in stone…

Le Creuset non-stick square pan, T&G flour scoop, Laura Ashley cloths and bowls, Le Creuset ramekin and T&G egg tray

Ingredients (for 16 brownies)

All ingredients should be at room temperature, unless otherwise stated

170 g of virgin coconut oil, weighed solid
200 g of pure chocolate, of good quality
165 g of white sugar
200 g of cane brown sugar
4 eggs (L)
50 g of unsweetened pure cocoa powder
¾ teaspoon of salt
130 g of all-purpose wheat flour

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven (conventional, no fan) to 180ºC and place the oven rack in the middle position.
2. Lightly grease a 23 x 23 cm non-stick square pan like this Le Creuset one with baking spray, line the bottom with parchment paper so it slightly overhangs the sides (although this pan's non-stick quality is simply outstanding, this will allow you to remove it more easily in one piece once cold with almost no handling) and grease again over the paper.
3. In a double boiler pot or a large heat-resistant bowl, place the coconut oil together with the chopped chocolate, and melt over a double boiler while stirring gently with a silicone spatula until well combined. You can also do this in the microwave, always at medium power and stirring every 15–20 seconds to prevent the chocolate from burning.
4. Next, add the sugars and gently combine using some hand whisks. Let cool for a few minutes.
5. Then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition until the mixture thickens and everything is perfectly combined.
6. Next, sift the cocoa powder directly over the previous mixture, add the salt and mix just until combined.
7. Finally, fold in the flour and now with the silicone spatula, mix using folding motions just until fully integrated.
8. Pour into the pan and smooth the surface with the spatula.
9. Bake for about 35–40 minutes until the surface moisture has evaporated (a thin, slightly crisp layer will form) and when inserting a skewer into the center it comes out practically clean (the skewer will be slightly stained with chocolate, but that's ideal; we don't want dry brownies). There may initially be a small amount of oil on the surface and around the brownie, but it will disappear shortly after removing it from the oven.
10. Let cool completely in the pan, which may take several hours. Once ready, you can refrigerate it until serving time for a cleaner, easier cut (or simply for personal preference).

And if that weren't enough, I would advise serving the occasion with a good scoop of ice cream.

Laura Ashley dishes and cloths and Le Creuset cappuccino cup

Notes

• *If you prefer your brownies a bit more cake-like and less dense, closer to the texture and consistency of a cake, here's how to switch from one type to the other easily. Starting from this recipe (dense, “fudgy” brownie version), begin by adding ¾ teaspoon of baking powder along with the flour. You should also reduce the proportion of fats (coconut oil and chocolate by up to -50% and -65%, respectively) and increase the flour (up to 240%). That is, in this case, to get more cake-like brownies you could use 85 g of coconut oil, 130 g of chocolate and 310 g of flour. Also, instead of including brown sugar as part of the total sugar used, you would use only white sugar (the same total amount as the sum of both types). The rest of the ingredients would remain unchanged. When controlling baking time, you should also reduce it by about 5–10 minutes in this case.
• If you like that extra textural touch, feel free to add a good handful of chopped nuts (about 75–80 g) at the last moment, right after adding the flour.
• If you want a clean, precise cut when slicing your brownie, you'll need a large, sharp knife with a thin blade. A good method is to wet the knife first in hot water (and dry it well afterward) just before cutting.
• Although I made it in the Le Creuset non-stick pan, there is a pan specifically designed for baking brownies, and it's this one from Kitchen Craft. If you frequently make this delicious cake, be sure to check it out.

Best regards,

Rosa