Almost virtuous - Oat Bran Brownies

 

 

Well, not really. I don't suppose these would constitute diet food, but I suppose they're better than eating, I dunno, lard. And as there is a conspicuous absence of posts on this blog just now, and there aren't enough cakes on it anyway, and I am trying to be good. Well, two outta three ain't bad...

 

I have banned myself from buying cookbooks, unless they are a penny on Amazon and at that price I sort of justify it to myself even though at the moment when they arrive I have nowhere to put them. And when I saw that 'The Loaves and Fishes Party Cookbook' was a penny, I decided I had to have it, as I love 'Summer on a Plate' and I am a Barefoot Contessa fan, thus knowing 'Loaves and Fishes' through association. So, a quick perusal in a spare half hour one night revealed lots of lovely recipes which I will try at some point (maybe when I am retired) but I wondered what these brownies would be like. So I tried.

 

I cooked these a bit longer than I should, mainly because Lola and Finn aren't always so keen on the gooey centre of the typical brownie. I also think that these probably needed less time than typical brownies, maybe because of the oats; I don't know in truth. But actually despite them being a bit overcooked, the texture wasn't dry - it was, well, cakey really. If you want them gooey brownie style, then don't cook them so long. And maybe, just maybe, the addition of oat bran did mean that I didn't necessarily feel the need to eat more than one, or maybe two....

 

I adapted the original recipe in that I mistakenly put three quarters of a cup of brown sugar instead of half a cup of brown sugar and a quarter of cup of caster sugar. I also wonder whether oatmeal and oat bran are the same thing. I had oat bran so that was what I used. I wonder how different it all might have been if I had had the right ingredients and not been mistaken? No matter, these were glorious!

 

Oat Bran Brownies, adapted from 'The Loaves and Fishes Party Cookbook' by Anna and Sybille Pump

 

Ingredients:

 

6oz dark chocolate (I used Menier 70% dark chocolate)

half a block of butter (about 4oz)

3/4 cup of oatbran

2/3 cup plain flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp of coarse salt

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2 tsp instant espresso

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

 

Method:

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter and line a 8 x 8 x2 inch baking pan

 

 

 

Melt the chocolate and butter together, and set aside.

 

 

 

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.

 

 

 

Stir in the eggs, chocolate and vanilla

 

 

 

Pour into a the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes, until the top has set and there is dry crumb on a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake.

 

 

 

Cool in the pan uncovered. Make sure the brownie is cool before you cut into slices.