Name: Lighter Brownies
Yield: Makes 12 brownies
Ingredients: 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (2 1/2 ounces/71 grams); 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder; 1 tablespoon warm water; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; 3/8 teaspoon instant espresso powder; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 3 ounces (85 grams) semisweet chocolate, chopped fine; 1/2 cup sugar (3 1/2 ounces/99 grams); 1/8 teaspoon table salt; 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Why This Recipe Works

We found several ways to lighten our brownie recipe without sacrificing moistness and chocolate flavor. We used a combination of semisweet chocolate and cocoa powder instead of unsweetened chocolate (which is higher in fat and must be used in combination with more sugar and butter). A little espresso powder accentuated the chocolate flavor in our lighter brownie recipe. And we used just 2 tablespoons butter, instead of the usual 8 to 12 tablespoons, along with 1 tablespoon warm water added to the batter to help bloom the cocoa flavor and keep our low-fat brownies moist.

Before You Begin

Be sure to use semisweet chocolate and not semisweet chips—the additives in chips will result in a drier, squat brownie. To ensure moist, fudgy brownies it is important not to overbake them. Be sure to check the brownies for doneness several minutes before the specified baking time has elapsed.

This recipe was published in The Best Light Recipe.

Instructions

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square metal baking pan with parchment paper, or foil lightly coated with vegetable oil spray.

Whisk the flour and baking powder together in a small bowl; set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk the cocoa, water, vanilla, and espresso powder together; set aside. Microwave the butter and chocolate together in a medium microwave-safe bowl on 50 percent power until melted, about 1 minute; whisk until the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the sugar and salt until completely incorporated. Whisk in the cocoa mixture, then whisk in the egg. Stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated (do not overmix).

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking (do not overbake). Cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour, lift the brownies out of the pan by grasping onto the parchment paper, and cut into 12 brownies.