Mexican Brownies (Gluten-free, Paleo)

These brownies are SO good!  Rich and fudgy in the middle and irresistibly crunchy around the edges--I can't stop thinking about them.  Their flavor is enhanced by a dose of a cinnamon and a hint of cayenne pepper, but you can totally leave those out if you want a more classic brownie.

I made a big pan of these (doubled the below recipe) for the first meeting of my school's Spanish Club, and they were a huge hit!  The meeting was at ten am, but nobody complained about being served brownies for breakfast.  I made them again day before yesterday in these Christmas molds, and I was going to give them as gifts . . . but we ate them all.  Restraint is futile when faced with Mexican brownies, especially if they are shaped like Christmas trees.

These brownies do not taste gluten-free to me at all!  The original recipe called for a relatively small amount of flour, so I knew it would be a great candidate for using my paleo flour blend.  If you don't have the flour blend on hand, I've also provided measurements for each individual type of flour.  The ratio is slightly different from that of the flour blend for ease of measurement, but I have made the brownies both ways and did not notice a difference in taste or texture.

If you're looking for a last-minute edible gift, why not whip up a batch of these Mexican brownies?  Just make sure to give them away quickly before you break down and eat them all.  Or, go ahead and make them for yourself for breakfast!  ¡Feliz navidad a todos!

Ingredients (adapted from Aaron Sanchez's recipe from Food Network; makes 10-12 depending on pan used):

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter*
1 cup coconut sugar (or regular granulated sugar)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch or two of cayenne pepper
Pinch of salt
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup paleo flour blend (or 1/2 cup almond flour, 1/4 cup coconut flour, and 1/4 cup tapioca starch)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

*I plan to try these brownies with coconut oil, but haven't yet.  If you beat me to it, leave a comment letting me know how it went!

Preheat the oven to 350.  Grease 12 silicone molds or a muffin tin with oil and place on a baking sheet, or line an 8 x 8" pan with parchment paper.  Alternatively, you can double the recipe and bake it in a 9 x 13" pan.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat.  Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.  Whisk in the sugar, then the eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, cayenne, and salt until the batter is smooth.  Stir in the cocoa powder, flour, and baking soda until combined.  Spoon the batter into the molds or muffin cups, filling them just over half full, or spread into the prepared pan.

Bake for about 15 minutes for silicone molds or muffin tins and 20-25 minutes for a pan, until the brownies are just set but still fudgy in the middle.  Cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then carefully pop out brownies from their molds or muffin cups (slide a knife around the edges of the muffin cups to loosen them if necessary), or remove from the pan with the parchment paper and slice into squares.

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Salted Caramel Brownies (Gluten-free) 

Chocolate Cake with Peppermint Ganache (Paleo, Gluten-free, Dairy-free)

Mocha Mexicano (Paleo, Gluten-free, Vegan)