Fudgy Egg-Free Brownies (with Vegan Alternative)

I was searching online for an egg-free brownie recipe and the first one that came up was from allrecipes.com. There were a lot of positive reviews for it so I thought I'd give it a try. It's quite an interesting technique. The first step is to cook flour and water in a saucepan until thick. This was a little strange because, if I remember correctly, this is exactly how I made paste when I was a little kid. I even read the recipe twice to make sure I was following it correctly. Hmmm, let's see how this turns out...

Well, the resulting brownie was suprisingly good. It was light and cakey, which isn't exactly the way I like my brownies, but nonetheless I was impressed. I made some slight adjustments to this original recipe so I could turn it into a fudgy, chewy brownie.

(Update: I added instant espresso powder to the brownie batter and it made them taste even better! You know what can top that? Add in some mini chocolate chips. )

Fudgy Egg-Free Brownies
Makes 12 brownies
Allergy note: contains wheat and dairy (see notes for dairy-free alternative)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter*
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon honey*
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
*
*Vegan brownies: replace butter with vegetable oil, allowed margarine, or coconut oil (melted). Replace honey with agave syrup, maple syrup or corn syrup. For chocolate chips, try Enjoy Life Brand.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper. In a heavy saucepan combine the 1/3 cup of flour and water. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until thick. Transfer to a mixing bowl and set aside to cool.

In a small saucepan, melt butter. When butter has melted, add the oil, cocoa powder and instant espresso powder; mix until smooth; set aside to cool. Beat the sugars, vanilla and honey into the cooled flour mixture. Stir in the cocoa mixture until well blended. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt, stir into the batter until just blended. Fold in mini chocolate chips. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The brownie will be dry on the surface but the batter will still be wet when a toothpick is inserted in the center. The brownie might fall in the middle; that's okay. Cool completely then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Flip the brownie over to a cutting board. Peel off the parchment paper and cut the brownie into bars.