Fudgy Brownies

I love brownies.  There are few things better than fudgy, chocolatey squares, and vegan brownies take on those characteristics quite well.  Here's the recipe I usually use:

Recipe:
Fudgy Brownies

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 12 oz. bag of vegan chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli semi-sweet chips)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Stir together the first five ingredients in a large bowl.  Form a well in the center of the dry mixture and pour in the wet ingredients.  Mix until combined and then mix in the chocolate chips, but do not over-mix.  Pour into a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan and spread evenly.  Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick/knife inserted in the center comes out (fairly) clean and the top is no longer shiny.  

Comments:
As I stated above, I love these brownies.  This is my go-to recipe.  They're really easy to make, especially since there's not a hard-to-find egg replacer involved; the oil takes care of that.  The addition of chocolate chips provides a little extra something when you bite in, too.  They're great right out of the oven, but really, I like them best after they've been refrigerated for a while (and so does Rachel).

Simon and I made these brownies yesterday (Rachel left us alone for no more than 25 minutes when she went to the library, and we couldn't help ourselves).  But, we decided to try out a lower-oil version of the recipe.  We used only 1/2 cup oil and added about 2 tablespoons of unsweetened apple sauce.  The brownies came out well: they were a little more cake-like, but today -- one day later, post-refrigeration -- they're actually pretty fudgy and much denser.  Next time, I might try adding a little more applesauce.  I'll let you know how it goes!

So, how do Rachel and Simon feel about these dairy-free brownies?  Rachel likes the chocolate chips a lot--she likes the variety in texture that they provide--and says the brownies are "absolutely as good as non-vegan brownies."  Score.  Simon must feel the same way, since he's the one who instigated the brownie-making yesterday.   

Enjoy!