Rapunzel Brownies

Types of Chocolate

By Cat, 2009 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

• See also: 1. Cookies Menu; 2. Chocolate (About); 3. Chocolate Decadence Brownies
• Includes: 1. Rapunzel Brownies, Original Version; 2. Pre-Soak Version (not tested) 

Rapunzel (1) is a German brand name for minimally processed Organic and Fair Trade products; most are grown in tropical regions, like sugar cane and cocoa beans, and I’ve based my versions on their recipe. I include their brand-name products (Rapadura™ Organic sugar*, a minimally-processed dried sugar cane juice and Kokoa™ Organic cocoa powder*), but of course you can use other brands. See Unprocessed & minimally-refined sugars (about) for more on this.

*NOTE: these product names have been changed; the minimally-processed Rapadura sugar is now called ‘Organic Whole Cane Sugar,’ and Kokoa cocoa powder is now called ‘Organic Cocoa Powder.’ (2)

Rapunzel Brownies

This recipe is from a box of Rapunzel Rapadura™ Sugar (minimally-processed dried sugar cane juice), but I’ve cut it in half to make 12 brownies. Because this is Rapunzel’s recipe, they cite their own ingredients which I retain, but more common brands will also work; the only caution I give is to avoid the GMOs in sugar that is not labeled as “cane sugar” or “Organic.”

I like this brand because their products are Organic and Fair Trade, and are truly minimally processed (unlike a lot of wannabes in the market), using time-tested low-temperature methods used for centuries, that preserve the fragile live nutrients (enzymes, vitamins, etc. – methods you could do in your own kitchen, if you had access to raw sugar cane juice). And because they have excellent flavor.

This is an interesting recipe in that it uses three different types of chocolate: unsweetened cocoa powder, bittersweet or semisweet baking chocolate, and semisweet chips. Generally, chocolate chips include additional fillers, so you may wish to replace with more of the baking chocolate chopped into small chunks.

You can view a video of this recipe at LocalHarvest.org (3).

See below for my pre-soak adaptation, which also includes part stevia in place of part of the sugar.

Ingredients & Equipment:

• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter (not margarine)
• 2 oz semisweet baking chocolate
• pinch unrefined sea salt
• 1/2 cup unbleached white flour
• 1/4 cup Rapunzel brand Organic Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)
• 3/4 cups Rapadura sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped semisweet baking chocolate (about 1/4 – 1/2” pieces); or 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 Tbsp Rapadura powdered sugar or Unrefined Powdered Sugar: Make Your Own (optional)
• Equipment:
• 8” square baking pan
• saucepan or double-boiler
• medium bowl
• small bowl

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease baking pan.
2. Let eggs warm to room temperature in their shell.
3. Meanwhile, melt bitter/semisweet baking chocolate and butter in saucepan over low heat (or use a double boiler). Mix well, and scrape into large bowl. Then let cool completely.
4. Beat eggs and salt in medium bowl until foamy, then mix in sugar.
5. Add egg/sugar mixture to butter/chocolate mixture and stir just until blended.
6. Sift flour and cocoa powder over batter, and stir just until barely mixed. Fold in chopped chocolate (or chips) and optional nuts.
7. Pour into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove.
8. Sprinkle with powdered sugar (optional) and allow to cool completely before cutting into 12 brownies.

Presoaked Whole Grain Flour Version (with optional stevia)

Why presoak? See Soaking & sprouting grains/flours. In this recipe, the flour and nuts are presoaked together; both benefit nutritionally. However, since there is not much flour in the recipe, and brownies are considered a special treat, perhaps using a pre-soak is superfluous – perhaps that’s why I haven’t tested this version yet.

This is a bit tricky to modify for a presoak, since there is no liquid in the recipe other than eggs. The way to do it is to add no more than 2 Tbsp yogurt water or buttermilk, and then mix in equal amount of coconut flour the next day (coconut flour absorbs the added liquid.

I’ve not tested this yet, so I don’t know if 2 Tbsp yogurt water is enough to make it mixable. If not, add more water 1 tsp at a time and keep track of total yogurt-water added. Then on the next day, you need to add equivalent amount of coconut flour to absorb that liquid. However, it should not exceed 1/4 of the total flours used.

Makes 12 – 16 brownies. I’ve not yet tested this adaptation.

Ingredients & Equipment:

• Pre-soak
• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 1/2 Tbsp plain unsweetened yogurt
• 1 1/2 Tbsp filtered water (or more, as needed to work the flour; keep track of total used)
• Next day
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter (not margarine)
• 2 oz semisweet baking chocolate
• 2 Tbsp coconut flour (or more to match total volume of yogurt/water used in presoak mixture.
• 1/4 cup Rapunzel brand Organic Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)
• pinch unrefined sea salt
• 1/2 tsp stevia plus 2 Tbsp Rapadura sugar (or eliminate stevia and use 3/4 cups sugar)
• 1/2 cup chopped semisweet baking chocolate (about 1/4 – 1/2” pieces); or 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 Tbsp powdered sugar (optional) or Unrefined Powdered Sugar: Make Your Own (optional)
• Equipment:
• small bowl
• waxed paper
• 8” square baking pan
• saucepan
• medium bowl

Method:

1. Pre-soak: Combine flour and walnuts in medium bowl. Stir together yogurt and water, then stir into flour and nuts until all is moist. It will be thick. If too thick to mix, add more water 1 tsp at a time and keep track of how much you add.
2. Press waxed paper against the surface of the batter, then cover bowl with a cloth and let rest overnight.
3. Next day: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease baking pan
4. Let eggs warm to room temperature in their shell.
5. Meanwhile, melt semisweet chocolate and butter in saucepan/double boiler over low heat. Mix well, and scrape into bowl of soaked flour/nut mixture. Let cool completely.
6. Beat eggs and salt in medium bowl until foamy, then mix in sweetener(s). Add egg/sugar mixture to batter and stir just until blended.
7. Sift coconut flour and cocoa powder over batter, and stir just until barely mixed. Fold in chopped chocolate or chips.
8. Pour into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
9. Sprinkle with powdered sugar (optional) and allow to cool completely before cutting into 12 brownies.

References:

1. Rapunzel’s Organic Whole Cane Sugar (formerly Rapadura); see their German website: rapunzel.de/uk/p_suessung.html
2. Processed Free America: The skinny on evaporated cane sugar, by Dee McCaffrey, CDC, March 5, 2014 (processedfreeamerica.org/resources/health-news/405-the-truth-about-evaporated-cane-juice)
3. LocalHarvest.org video of the original recipe (localharvest.org/blog/23437/entry/rapunzel_s_triple_chocolate_brownies)