Midnight Cravings: Fudgy Coconut Flour Brownies

Sometime after 10 last night I gave in to the cliché.

There I was, curled up on my couch watching Rita Hayworth as Gilda flipping her waves of luxurious hair and prancing around on legs that looked to be about twice as long as my entire body. She was, in the words of another blogger, glorious. And I was feeling, well, not so much…

See I was missing the boyfriend pretty badly. Still am, actually, but right at that moment it was positively achey. It’s been a week and a half since he left on vacation with his buddies and though the alone time is nice, I must say, I’m over it. That’s it, let me off the ride. Keep the ball if you must. I just don’t want to play anymore.

Plus, it’s that week. You know which week I mean… The one where everything feels heavy and silence is better than conversation and the tears are quick to well up, just like that? Yeah, so it’s that week, which doesn’t make anything easier.

Since I knew there wasn’t a way to fast-forward to next weekend, when my emotions will be back to normal and he will be curled up on the couch next to me, I turned to the one that would be possible in such desperate times. That, of course, was chocolate.

Chocolate brownies, to be exact. Fudgy, moist, with perhaps just a bit of a crust and a subtle hint of something—almond, perhaps? No…rum.

I used coconut flour to make the brownies. And cocoa rouge, for that deep, sexy color. A generous pour of my homemade vanilla rum gave it a naughty kick, and (to keep the guilt at bay) I opted for agave instead of sugar.

The end result was surprising. Moist but still very crumbly, soft. Warm from the oven, they were just what I needed. The exact dose of serotonin I seemed to be lacking. But they were even better this morning (yes, morning!) once the flavors and texture had a chance to settle. Less crumbly, more fudgy. I dusted them with more coconut flour (it’s not really flour, after all; it’s just ground coconut). While photographing them, the breeze from the open window kept blowing the sweet aroma of chocolate and coconut under my nose.

This recipe makes a smallish batch. Just enough to share with a couple friends or to keep you happy during those not-so-lovely days.

Fudgy Coconut Flour Brownies
1 cup coconut flour (see my "where to buy" for a great supplier)
2/3 cup good cocoa powder (I like cocoa rouge)
¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
¾ cup butter
1/4 cup olive oil
3 extra large eggs
1 cup lukewarm water
3 tablespoons vanilla rum (or 2 tablespoons regular rum & 1 tablespoon vanilla extract)
¾ cup agave syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1.) In a large bowl, sift together the coconut flour, salt, cocoa, and baking powder. Set aside.

2.) Cut butter into chunks and place in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until melted then add the chocolate chips and mix just until they soften. Quickly remove from heat and continue stirring until everything is combined. Let cool.

3.) In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and agave syrup. Add the oil, rum, and vanilla. Followed by the cooled chocolate butter mixture.

4.) Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry. The coconut flour tends to suck moisture quickly so don’t worry if the batter clumps. Use the lukewarm water to loosen it up by drizzling a little bit at a time until it is all absorbed but the batter is still wet. If you need to, add up to ¼ cup more water.

5.) Pour the batter into a 9” square baking pan lined with parchment paper.

6.) Bake for 30 minutes until the top is dry to the touch and the batter is firm.

7.) Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before lifting the parchment paper to remove the brownies from the pan. Slice and eat right away for a warm, cakey brownie or let sit over night for a firmer fugier one (or have it both ways!)