Coconut Oil Brownies

We bring you a recipe that you won't be able to resist: a chocolate brownie recipe with coconut oil , an explosive combination. If brownies have always been one of those desserts that 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!

You, like me, who enjoy traditional recipes and, of course, discovering new ones, don't you sometimes wonder how many more brownie recipes you can still surprise yourself with? We both know, or rather, we sense, that the list will probably be endless. And this is where I come in with this new brownie recipe for which I have used La Tourangelle virgin coconut oil instead of the usual butter. If you haven't tried it yet, I really encourage you to check it out; in addition to eliminating dairy derivatives, it adds a very subtle touch of flavour that you will appreciate even if coconut doesn't really excite you.

Despite the great similarity between all these myriad recipes, broadly speaking, it could be said that there are two varieties of brownies with respect to their texture : the more sponge-like and fluffy ones and the dense and consistent ones. Personally, I 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, their preparation and ingredients are the same; the trick is to play with the proportion of fat and flour (see Notes below*).

Finally, if we dig a little deeper, we also find some controversy regarding the use of some of the ingredients that are often included. To start with, we'll take the example of baking powder (or leavening agent). The purists are of the opinion that it should never be added to a real brownie, because in reality it's not a chocolate cake. It's a brownie. Along these lines, we also find another passionate debate: walnuts, yes or no? Again, originally, it seems that they were not part of the recipe, but of course, that doesn't mean that you can't add them if you fancy giving it an extra touch of texture and flavour.

And with that said, now tell me what is your type of brownie? As you can see, when it comes to choosing, nothing is set in stone…

Le Creuset non-stick square cake tin, T&G flour scoop , Laura Ashley cloths and bowls , Le Creuset ramekin and T&G egg cup

Ingredients (for 16 brownies)

All ingredients must be at room temperature, unless otherwise indicated.

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

Elaboration

1. Preheat the oven (electric and without air) to 180ºC and place the oven rack in the central position.
2. Lightly grease a 23 x 23 cm square non-stick mould like this one from Le Creuset with release spray, line the bottom with baking paper so that it slightly overhangs the sides (although the non-stick properties of this mould are simply formidable, so we can remove it more easily in one piece once it has cooled without having to manipulate it much), and grease the paper again.
3. In a double boiler or a large, heat-resistant bowl, place the coconut oil together with the chopped chocolate and melt in a double boiler while gently stirring 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 with the help of a whisk . Let cool for a few minutes.
5. Then we add the eggs, one at a time and mixing well after each addition until the mixture thickens and everything is perfectly combined.
6. Next, sift the cocoa powder directly onto the previous mixture, add the salt and mix just enough to combine.
7. Finally, we add the flour and, now with the silicone spatula, we mix using circular movements until it is completely integrated.
8. Pour into the mold and smooth the surface with the spatula.
9. Bake for about 35-40 minutes until the moisture has evaporated from the top (where it will form a thin, slightly crunchy layer) and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean (the toothpick will come out slightly smeared with chocolate, but that's ideal - you don't want dry brownies). There may be a small amount of oil on the top and around the brownie initially, but this will disappear shortly after removing it from the oven.
10. Let it cool completely inside the mould, which can take several hours. Once ready, you can refrigerate it until serving time for a cleaner and easier cut (or simply for personal preference).

And if that were not enough, I would recommend accompanying the occasion with a good scoop of ice cream.

Laura Ashley plates and tea towels and Le Creuset cappuccino cup

Grades

• *If you prefer your brownies a little fluffier and less dense, closer to the texture and consistency of a sponge cake, I'll tell you how to easily switch from one type to another. If we start with this recipe (a dense and "melty" brownie version), we'll start by adding ¾ teaspoon of baking powder or leavening agent along with the flour. We'll also have to reduce the proportion of fat (coconut oil and chocolate to -50% and -65%, respectively) and increase the proportion of flour (up to 240%). That is, in this case, to get more "spongy" brownies we 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, we would use only white sugar (the same amount in total as adding both types). The rest of the ingredients would not be modified. When controlling the baking time, in this case we will also have to reduce it by about 5-10 minutes.
• If you like to enjoy that extra touch of texture, don't hesitate to add a good handful of chopped walnuts (about 75-80 g approx.) at the last moment, just after adding the flour.
• If we want a clean and precise cut when slicing our brownie, we will need a large, sharp knife with a thin blade. A good method is to first wet the knife in hot water (and dry it thoroughly afterwards) just before cutting.
• Although I made it in the Le Creuset non-stick mould, there is a mould specially designed for making brownies, and it is this one from Kitchen Craft . If you are a regular at making this delicious cake, be sure to check it out.

All the best,

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