Quarantine Cooking: Vegan Chocolate Brownie Recipe By Chef Angie Roberts Of H Club, Los Angeles

Everyone is hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. And these are particularly challenging times for food and beverage professionals. It is estimated that upwards of 7 million restaurant workers could lose their jobs within the next few weeks, alone. In order to support the industry while encouraging creativity in the kitchen, we present to you this ongoing series featuring easy-to-follow recipes from some of the world’s finest chefs, eateries, and resorts. If you like what you taste, consider donating to the Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation.

Today it’s time to satisfy your sweet tooth with this take on decadent chocolate confection—sans dairy. Angie Robert, executive chef at h Club in Hollywood, California, shares below her recipes for Gooey Vegan Chocolate Brownies.

“This afternoon I was experimenting with some vegan brownie recipes. When shopping and preparing for the quarantine I didn’t stock much meat, dairy or eggs. I focused more on stocking fresh fruits, vegetables and shelf stable items. At home I typically stick to a plant based whole foods diet, but I also have a bit of a sweet tooth! In this recipe I substituted ground flax seeds mixed with water for eggs since I didn’t have any. 1 tablespoon of ground flax mixed with 3 tablespoons of water equals one egg when substituting in recipes. I made these brownies using only ingredients I had on hand in my pantry and was very happy with the results!”

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
• 1 cup filtered water
• 1 cup earth balance butter or plant based butter substitute
• 2 cups organic cane sugar
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 TBL bourbon vanilla extract or pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups non dairy chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate

DIRECTIONS

• Pre-heat oven 350 degrees
• 1.) Mix ground flax with the water and set aside to thicken.
• 2.) Melt the earth balance in a small pot over low flame or by placing in the microwave in 30 sec. intervals
• 3.) Use a stand mixer, hand mixer or mixing bowl with whisk to combine the sugars with the melted butter. Add the flax/water mixture and vanilla extract. Continue mixing until combined. *I used a kitchen aid with the paddle attachment
• 4.) Sift together the flour, cacao powder (or cocoa powder) and baking powder
• 5.) Add sifted dry goods to wet in intervals. Mix until combined. Avoid over mixing.
• 6.) Fold in 1/2 of chocolate stir to combine.
• 7.) Spread batter into non stick or lightly oiled 9×13 cake pan
• 8.) Sprinkle the remaining chocolate on top
• 9.) Bake for 35 min. Brownies should look gooey and will appear slightly under baked.
• 10.) Cool for approximately 30 min.