A few weeks ago Kim made some brownies from the Trader Joe's gluten-free brownie mix and brought them into the office to share. Even though they have xanthan gum in them (my other food enemy derived from corn) I couldn' t resist. I had made these brownies before, when I was just soooo excited about seeing them at TJ's for the first time, and thought they were just so-so. This time however, I thought they were scrumptious.
What was the difference?
Kim used muffin tins to make them after not being able to locate her traditional brownie pan.
Like my crazy grandma used to say while pointing her index finger, "Well, well, well…let me tell you…", they make that chewy edge, the one that we all love the brownie for, on all sides! Well, okay, I obviously was never any good at geometry, but I'm sure that you get the idea. You may have heard people praise the Baker's Edge brownie pan, but before you buy one, you might want to try this trick. I made them again and used my fun mini muffin tin (pictured above) and Kim seemed to think that they were even better- more like brownie edge bites. I baked mine at the same temperature listed in the original instructions for about half of the time- about 10 to 15 minutes. I kept checking in on them every few minutes to make sure my darling baby brownie bites were safe. I'm sure ovens vary, so my advice is for you to do the same.
That's my hot brownie tip of the day.
And for those of you that want to make brownies from scratch, here are some delicious looking gluten-free recipes:
Chocolate Pecan Brownies from Karina's Kitchen
Black Bean Brownie at 101 Cookbooks
Torta Caprese: An Italian Inspired Brownie from Mario Batali's Del Posto. Ed Levine claims these are the best brownies ever on Serious Eats.
Do you have a favorite gluten-free brownie recipe? Please share it with us.
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Hi all, I was just diagnosed with Celiac yesterday & am completely overwhelmed. To be honest, I’m just looking for some friends who understand. I’m somewhat devestated as I’m a very, very picky eater & at least half my diet was just eliminated. Thanks for your blog. I’m searching it for foods to eat. I think it’ll be really helpful! If you have any advice, please email me. alexis.arnell@gmail.com.
Thanks!
Hi Alexis,
My daughter was diagnosed a year ago. She is 15 years old. We were overwhelmed at the beginning. It seems like you will never be able to eat again, but believe me, there are sooo many delicious gluten free foods. This is a great web site for info. A lot of good links. You can also look at glutenfreemall.com, and if you live near a Mrs. Green’s Natural Market or a Whole Foods, there are so many good products. Don’t forget the foods that are naturally gluten free, (most are, its just a small food group that is not!). If you have any questions, please feel free to email anytime. I can give you so much information. Don’t worry, it will be absolutely fine. I assure you.
I hope I can be of help,
Carole
This is my fallback brownie recipe, seen here used in ice cream sandwiches:
http://www.heythattastesgood.com/2008/10/brownie-ice-cream-sandwiches.html
We don’t have Trader Joes here, and apparently they are making no attempt to move this way any time soon. Normally I bake from scratch, but in a pinch, I really like the Namaste brownie mix. Add a few vegan/GF choc chips to it, and or some pecans and you’d never know they weren’t the fully loaded kind.
A few people emailed me asking about “WHAT TRADER JOE’S GF BROWNIE MIX?!!!!!!” I couldn’t find my paper bag in the recycling bin, so here is a photo I found online:
http://bakingbites.com/2008/02/trader-joes-gluten-free-brownie-mix-reviewed/
Hope that helps!
Thanks for the tip! I have to admit, I wasn’t too big of a fan of the Trader Joe’s brownie mix. I think I’m going to have to give them another try using the muffin technique!
We LOVE the Trader Joe’s mix. The brownies are delicious and it doesn’t cost a small fortune to get them. For me that’s a grand slam!
Thanks for the muffin pan tip – I’ll be excited to try those out. Especially as holiday presents.
Alexis,
Yup, it is disappointing at first and I truly believe you have to “mourn” it and be angry for a little bit. We’re here for you! It will become second nature after the first year. For now totally educate yourself, look forward to feeling better, and try to have fun with it by allowing yourself to turn food into a luxury- if you can do that some way with your budget. After you get the hang of it you won’t necessarily need to focus on food as much.
I have some fun stuff coming up that will be especially helpful for newbies, so stick around.
Hugs,
Kel
Thanks, Jill…you are quite the baker!
Dawn- Love the name of your Blog!
Trav- yeah, they stuck to my pan and were a mess the first time I made them. *shrug*
Or “anytime presents”
Now that I think of it, they would look adorable in a little cellophane bag with a bow! Great idea!
I agree.. this mix is awesome. The last time I made them I only got one because all my non-celiac relatives ate them up! I replaced the oil with melted butter and added a cup of macadamia nuts. Ghiradelli makes a great 60% cacao chocolate chip.. I add .5 cups of them. These additions and substitutions makes these brownies my favorite.
Alexis,
I just finished my first gluten free year (at the age of 42) — I too was overwhelmed, angry, bitter and sad. I lived on “boost” for two months. My favorite foods in the world – were beer, pizza and cereal, so I was devastated. My best advice – as a newbie – would be to steer clear of the “gluten free products” for a while, and go to the naturally gluten free foods: enjoy burgers, any kind of potato, fruit, veggies, rice, cheese, tortilla chips, etc. THen, as you ease yourself into it – try out other products. Also – my next best bit of advice is to get the gluten free on the go food guide that is put out by the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University … it’s a small, spiral bound book that you can carry around in your purse or back pack — it tells you everything by name brand – that you can have (costs about $15) — so worth it — it’s my gluten free bible. Bonus – a lot of candy is gluten free so treat yourself to a Snickers bar!
Good luck,
Kate
.
Mini brownie bites. Oh, drool…
I make a chocolate cookie bar that everyone calls “brownies”. It’s super easy. Here’s the link to the recipe: http://lilovesdavid.blogspot.com/2007/07/good-fortune.html
Hi, we don’t have a Trader Joes in Canada, but last time I was in the States, I picked up a bunch of stuff, including 2 bags of the brownie mix. I wasn’t that thrilled with it (I had just tried Pamela’s mix and loved it), so I haven’t made the other one yet. Maybe today I’ll give them a try in mini muffin tins! Thanks!
These brownies are constantly being asked for – by gluten eaters. They are famous at my husband’s fire station.
http://delightfullyglutenfree.wordpress.com/2007/11/12/worlds-best-brownies/
I am a betty crocker freak, that was how I was raised…on betty crocker. So when we had to switch to gluten free, the goal is to make the bake goods taste like betty crocker. We have with our brownie, white cake, and pizza crust. They are being tested to go mainstream with a grocery retailer. They bake in the pan just like betty crocker and you just can stop eating our brownies.
OOOh I just love the edge on brownies, what a great plan! I’m going to do that from now on that way we don’t have to fight over the edge. Ha! Usually I cut all four courners and hide them for myself-I can do that, I’m the mom!
I think it is so hard to make gluten free recipes because everyone has a nostalgic recollection of what normal ones tasted like. I posted a recipe on The Mini Canteen blog.
I have made a few brownies from a mix and while TJ’s is OK, I recently tried the one from Whole Foods, the 365 house brand, it was very good, way better than TJ’s. The 1st time I make anything I follow recipes exactly, it was really good as is, but next time I may add some nuts or dried cherries to make it even better. My 3 1/2 yo Celiac son loved them as did his non-Celiac twin.
I love brownies – my favorite part are those chewy edges!!! This is a recipe for a healthier version for a chewy not cakey brownie:
1 1/4 cup Almond Flour
1/8 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/8 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup organic coconut oil
1 egg
2-2 1/2 T agave
1 1/2 t vanilla
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (60% cacao or higher- if using ghiradelli cut each chip in half)
Note: Use an 8 1/2 x6 1/2 glass rectangle pan. 350 Degrees oven. Bake 15-18 min.