- ¾ cup whole-wheat pastry flour
- ½ cup organic all purpose white flour
- 2 Tbsp. arrowroot
- 1 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
- ½ cup organic cane sugar
- 1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. fine sea salt
- 3 Tbsp. (1.5 ounces) California Olive Ranch Arbequina extra virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling pan
- 1 cup pure maple syrup, grade A dark amber
- ⅓ cup (2.6 ounces) prune puree (recipe below)
- 2 Tbsp. water
- 2 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp. almond extract
- ½ cup walnuts, toasted, cooled and coarsely chopped
- ⅓ cup vegan chocolate chips, optional
Prune Puree
(makes 2/3 - 1 cup)
- 6 ounces dried, pitted prunes
- 7 ounces boiling water, more if needed
Soak the prunes in water until very soft. Pour prunes and soaking liquid into a blender and blend until perfectly smooth. Use immediately or refrigerate up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.
Position rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Oil a 9 x 9-inch pan with olive oil.
Place a wire mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Add pastry flour, white flour, arrowroot, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt to the strainer and sift into the bowl. Stir with a wire whisk to distribute the ingredients.
In a separate bowl, whisk oil, maple syrup, the prune puree, water and vanilla until very well blended. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir until smooth. Stir the walnuts, and the chocolate chips, if using into the batter. The batter will be thick.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan evenly. Bake for 17-19 minutes, until the top looks dry and set, and the sides of the brownie have begun to pull away from the sides of the pan. A tester inserted into the center will be moist, and almost, but not quite wet. The brownies do firm as they cool.
Place the baking pan on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze the brownies before cutting; cold brownies slice neatly. Store in the freezer, well wrapped, up to 1 month. The brownies taste great straight from the freezer!
Recipe courtesy of Fran Costigan, More Great Good Dairy Free Desserts Naturally (Book Publishing Co., 2006)