Brownies, yes! Any bar/pan cookie saves time over cookies and this one is a winner. All rye flour, no caraway seeds which is a flavor often associated with rye. Add some espresso powder which can be found at The Granary here locally, and then these are topped with some flaked sea salt. I had a little trouble finding this, for pretzels, polenta chocolate chip cookies etc., but finally bumped into it on the bottom shelf at Fresh, Maldon is the brand and it comes in a box. Added bonus, rye has a high satiety factor so enjoy these and be ready to be satisfyingly full.
My first batch I missed the instruction on the baking and I was using the toothpick test and technically they were overbaked. They were still very moist but more cakey. Second time I baked them only 20. Much more of a chewy type brownie. Quickly a hit and definitely added to my recipe collection.
Rye Brownies - 355ºF oven
by Rachel Bernier-Green
Ingredients
- 300g dark bittersweet chocolate callets or bar (70-80% is good, but use whatever's handy!), broken into pieces - I used 55-59% chocolate chips, Equal Exchange or Enjoy Life both from The Granary
- 150g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for greasing the pan
- 200g Freshly milled Rye Flour
- ½ cup (50g) dutch cocoa powder - I used cacao
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1tsp salt
- 1 Tbs espresso powder
- 1 cup (200g) raw sugar
- 1 cup + 2 tbsps (200g) dark brown sugar
- 4 medium eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt (e.g. Maldon), for sprinkling on top
Instructions - italicized notes are my own notations-
- Preheat the oven to 355°F/180°C (convection: 320°F/160°C). Butter a 9” x 13” baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
- In a heatproof bowl, melt together the butter and chocolate over a pot of water that has been brought to a boil (or use a double boiler pan if you have one) and then removed from the heat. Allow the mixture to rest, stirring occasionally until it has melted completely.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the rye flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder and salt.
- In a third bowl (preferably of a stand mixer), whisk together the sugars, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy.
- Slowly add in the melted chocolate, followed by the dry ingredients from the second bowl. Mix just enough to combine, then pour contents into the prepared baking pan. Smooth the surface with an icing spatula or a rubber spatula and sprinkle with a teaspoon or so of nice, big flakes of sea salt.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the brownies are set but with a slight wobble. Leave to cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares.
*I learned using a plastic fork is the magic in cutting brownies to get clean cut lines!