A wheat free diet used to seem like a nightmare. I hate to admit that, but it’s true. What would life be like without pizza, bread, cookies, cake….soy sauce? But my views are changing thanks to the proliferation of new gluten free recipes, ingredients and ready-made products. Yesterday, I came home from a local pharmacy/grocer with a box of gluten free cereal (Perky-O's), a loaf of gluten free white bread and a gluten free brownie made by a company called Dip & Dunk Cookies which coincidentally, does their baking right down the street from my house. I'm thinking of tracking them down on my next walk. I’m also thinking a wheat free diet might not be such a bad thing and may be better for most of us. I’m still on the fence about this, but there’s comfort in knowing we'll always have brownies.
I found the original recipe for this brownie on great blog called Karina’s Kitchen. Karina is wheat intolerant and tells her story here. The original brownie recipe is here, where Karina says she got it from Clare. So thank you Karina and Clare.
This is a great tasting, fudgy, delicious, handsome brownie that does not taste odd or have a strange texture and the ingredient list doesn't contain guar gum or xantham gum, which can be difficult to find (though it's getting easier).
I followed the directions to the letter with a few minor flavor changes. For the chocolate, I used a Green & Blacks Dark Chocolate Hazelnut & Currant bar and for the nuts, I used ground hazelnuts.
Recipe
Wheat Free Hazelnut Brownies -- No Gums
Ingredients
- 5 ounces dark chocolate with hazelnuts
- 4 oz unsalted butter 8 tablespoons
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ rounded cup hazelnuts processed into a fine meal
- ¼ cup white or brown rice flour
- ½ teaspoon sea salt regular will do – use slightly less
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup extra semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8-inch square baking pan with non-stick foil or parchment
- Melt the dark chocolate and butter together in microwave or in a bowl set over simmering water.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs with an electric mixer until frothy. Add the brown sugar and beat until smooth. Add the melted chocolate mixture to the egg-sugar mixture a little at a time and beat well.
- In a bowl, combine the nut meal, rice flour, salt and baking soda. Add the dry mixture to the chocolate mixture and stir until well mixed. Add the vanilla, beat another half a minute or so. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour into the lined pan.
- Bake on center rack for 33 to 35 minutes, or until the brownies are set. Don't overcook.
- Cool on a wire rack; and remove the brownies from the pan by gripping the foil edges. Chill before cutting.
- Makes 9-12 servings.
Anna says
Hi Sarah,
Thanks so much for trying it! I've had this recipe up forever and have been waiting and waiting for a review. I've always made the chocolate version, but I never would have guessed that white chocolate could stand in for it. Thanks for testing that and reporting back. Again, I REALLY appreciate it.
Sarah says
This is such a fantastic, versatile recipe. I'm looking for a good wheat-free dessert for a Caribbean -inspired dinner next week; last night I subbed in Lindt White Chocolate-Coconut bars (I know, they're no longer gluten-free treats in that case), organic cane sugar, coconut flour, white chips, unsweetened coconut, and ground pecans (as well as added 1/4 cup light rum to counteract the coconut's moisture absorption). What's left of the pan is going to work this morning...
Georgina Png says
Hi Anna
Appreciate the brownie recipes. Am looking forward to more recipes of cookies/pastries using rice flour since type 'O' doesn't digest wheat well.
Kathy says
Thanks so much for including wheat free. Two of my family can't eat wheat and I'm always looking for wheat free treats. The two you have posted look great and I'm gonna give them a try this weekend!
Todd says
So no barracuda stuffed partridge for dinner then?
Anna says
The person I see is very interested in Eat Right for Your Blood Type too. I'm a Type O
Type O's thrive on Beef, Buffalo, Mutton (yeah right!), Lamb, Liver, Veal, Venison
Type O' are *okay* with on chicken, rabbit, turkey, quail, duck, partridge (ick),
Type O's are great with most seafood but should AVOID the following:barracuda, catfish caviar, conch (sorry Bahamian Type O's), lox, octopus, herring
List goes on....
Clumbsy Cookie says
A couple of months ago my sister bought a book about eating the kind of foods right for your blood type and she claimed she felt so great after starting following what the books recomemnded, she even lost weight. So I bought the book for my blood type (different from hers) and for my blood type it says i should give up wheat and dairy.
I've been wanting to give this a try for a week or two just to see if I find a difference, but being a pastry chef giving up weath and dairy is a major issue for me, so I keep posponing it...
But if I ever stop eating weath this would be the kind of treat I would like to have. It sound (and looks) great not only for celiacs but for everyone. It has nothing to do with those pity looking things!
HeartofGlass says
I often think that, other than people with a diagnosed wheat intolerance, have such a positive response to the no-wheat diet because it forces them to eliminate so many processed foods, like fast foods and convenience foods from their diet--they might have the same positive response just cutting out those things (which you already do, Anna).
I've had great sucess taking calcium citrate for bone density, with magnesium, zinc, and vitamin d--unlike calcium carbonate, it's more absorbable, and the extra minerals facilitate absorbtion.
I have never had nutella--I might try another of your nutella recipies, but I'm a little afraid of getting hooked like my European friends--and one American woman I know had an au pair whom she said ate her weight in nutella!
Anna says
Thanks for the quiz, Sue!
According to that quiz, I don't need to cut wheat. It does say it helps bone density and I have a problem with that, but vitamin d, exercise and probably (um) Boniva will take care of that.
Sue says
Anna, I find this very interesting. I also have some concerns about wheat. I am very careful about my wheat intake. (There are unpleasant consequences if I'm not careful.) There is a quiz you can take at this site. http://glutenfreequiz.com/TakeSurvey.asp?SurveyID=5327m3KJ8nl1G
I found the link on the Gluten Free Girl's site.
I was surprised at my results. After taking the quiz I tracked down two gluten free bread mixes. I haven't tried them yet, but I hope they're good. They're the Gluten Free Pantry brand and the Bob's Red Mill brand.
The reason I find your thoughts interesting is that I have also considered trying a gluten free diet. I think it would be hard for my family, but I have this feeling my son would benefit from the change too.
I would really miss baking some of my favorites, but if some problems would disappear it would really be worth it.
Anna says
Katrina, I look forward to hearing what you think.
Meredith, I think it's probably even easier to follow a gluten-free diet now than it was a few years ago. Everywhere I go, I see new products. I will look for that brownie mix.
Lisa, Pamela's products get good reviews all around. Sun Harvest sells Pamela's basic gluten free baking mix, but I haven't tried it yet.
Nicole, I am definitely not celiac. However, a nurse practicioner I go to says that wheat intolerance is a problem that many people have without even knowing it. It manifests itself later in life with inflammatory issues and disease. I really do not think I have an issue with wheat, but given all the people who quit wheat and suddenly feel better than ever, I am curious as to what would happen if I gave it up. Then again, this is Cookie Madness! What would I do?
Nicole says
I haven't seen you mention anything about being diagnosed with some gluten issues. Are you just trying out gluten-free recipes or have you been diagnosed as celiac?
Growing up I was allergic to wheat, dairy, soy and yeast. I starved for about 4 months and lost 50 pounds before finding a whole lot of great friendly foods at my Whole Foods. It took a lot of trial and error, though. Some were great, some were clunkers. Thanksfully, I have grown out of most of my allergies (I still have a problem with soy).
Good luck!
Lisa Ernst says
I've made scones with rice flour before and they were really good, plus I used to use a brownie mix called Pamela's that was made with rice flour. They were delicious with some chocolate chips added in! These look great.
Meredith says
I had to follow a gluten-free diet for several years due to diagnosis of (possible) celiac sprue (which isn't just wheat, but barley, malt, possibly oats due to cross-contamination, etc.). It was rough! I DID find some great products, but at the time, I had to order lots of stuff over the Internet....some were GREAT and some were absolutely HORRIBLE. Things have definitely changed for the better. And it's great that there are so many bloggers today.
I found a terrific gluten-free brownie mix -- it's actually one of the best mixes that I've ever used. It's a truffle brownie mix -- calls for melted butter and eggs. I still use it today, for those times when I resort to using a mix.
(Immediately after being given the go-ahead to eat wheat, etc., I went out and bought a box of oreos and a box of granola bars to keep at close-hand in the pantry, and hubby and I went out for dessert; I still remember my joy at being able to order chocolate layer cake!!).
VeggieGirl says
Living wheat-free would definitely be difficult; but nowadays, there's plenty of alternatives, so that's good. And wow, those hazelnut brownies are FABULOUS!!! A wonderful wheat-free treat :0)
Katrina says
That's a good lookin' brownie. I have some hazelnuts right now, and would have to get some rice flour, but these look good enough to try. When I do I will try them with Egg Beaters w/touch of yolk to cut some of the fat. I'll let you know how they turn out.