Recipe: Brownie Tart (Dairy- & Gluten-Free)

Backstory

My love for brownies led me to try every gluten- and dairy-free brownie mix on the shelves.  Not floored (although there are some great mixes out there now), I started making my own from scratch.  Then with alternative flour in my hair and coconut oil on my shirt, I looked for a brownie-like cake that I could take to parties and have people ask, "Who made this?"  To achieve this lofty goal, I thought it wise to start with a recipe from one of the brownie masters, The Barefoot Contessa.  I adapted her recipe so that I could safely and joyfully consume, but also have "normal" guests demand a repeat performance.  This recipe is rich (you don't need big pieces), chocolatey, chewey - all of the different textures that you want in a brownie. 

And this tart gets people to make naughty sounds. 

 Just out of the oven. It smells so, so good.

Ingredients

6 TBS of coconut oil

20 oz. (3.25 cups) of Enjoy Life Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips (or bittersweet chunks if you are really in a decadent mood)

1 cup of sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 tsp. of gluten-free vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. of GF coffee extract (rounds out the flavor of the chocolate)

1/4 c. GF brown rice flour (I find white rice flour too sweet) - I use Bob's Red Mill

1/4 c. GF tapioca flour -- I use Bob's Red Mill

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. sea or kosher salt

2-3 TBS of rice, almond, coconut (or other alternative) milk

Put it Together

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

With coconut oil (or safflower, grape seed), grease a 9-inch tart pan with removable sides.  Then flour the pan with brown rice flour.

Wet Ingredients:  Melt the 6 TBS of coconut oil in a bowl over simmering water.  Make sure the water isn't touching the bottom of the bowl.  Add 2 cups of the chocolate chips to the bowl with the oil, then remove from heat until the chocolate melts.  If you need more heat, put the bowl of back on the simmering water for a few seconds.  (Chocolate burns easily, hence this method.)  Let chocolate cool completely.

In a bowl of an electric mixer (use the paddle attachment) beat the eggs, sugar, GF coffee extract and GF Vanilla on medium-high speed until light and fluffy - about 3 minutes. Stir in the cooled chocolate.

Dry Ingredients:  In a medium bowl, combine the tapioca and brown rice flours, baking powder, salt and 1 cup of chocolate chips.  Fold the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture until just combined.

Bake:  Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the center is puffy.  Don't overbake - if the center puffs up and possibly cracks, it is good to go.  The inside will still be very soft, but the outer rim will be perfectly chewy. 

Dress Up:  Melt the remaining chocolate chips with the 2-3 TBS of rice milk (or other alternative milk).  You can do this right in the double boiler you used for the first melted chocolate.  Drizzle over the top of the tart in whatever pattern floats your boat.

Cool to room temperature before removing the tart pan sides.

 The End.