MOM'S CAKE BROWNIES WITH DUTCH COCOA + A SUBSTITUTION FOR CAKE FLOUR

All the stress of the past few weeks, losing Katrinka, finding out I need two new knees, and Tom's hospitalization , I need my Mommy!!!  I want to sit on her lap and have her wrap me in a thick, fluffy, warm cotton blanket while I lay my head on her shoulder.  However, if my Mom was still with us, she would be 105 years old so I need to get my Mommy love with one of her special recipes.  I decided to make my Mom's special cake-like brownies with Droste's Dutch cocoa. 

Mom's love and comfort on a plate.

When I was young, Droste's cocoa came in these lovely tin boxes.  No one thought to save them as you had a new one every time you bought cocoa.  Then suddenly they disappeared to be replaced by cardboard boxes.

In 1975, I found these tins in a tiny shop near the hospital where my Dad was fighting cancer.  Since then they have been one of my treasures. 

Mom brownies call for cake flour.  Bread flour has the most gluten, the protein in wheat, while cake flour has the least amount of gluten which makes for tender cake.  If you don't have cake flour the substitution is:



SUBSTITUTION FOR CAKE FLOUR
1 cup cake flour =  3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch

MOM'S BROWNIES

Mom's brownies are cake-like with a powdered sugar topping.  They are not as heavy and rich as many recipes.  If available use Dutch cocoa, like Droste's, otherwise the brownies won't have the lovely intense chocolate flavor.  These are great with icy cold milk and a good book. My Dad would see me with my glass of milk, and brownies piled high on a plate as I headed for my favorite reading corner and quip, "Those will look good on you!"

1/2 c butter

1 c sugar

2 eggs

2 T cocoa mixed with 1/4 c water (Mom used extra cocoa if she couldn't get Droste's)

1/2 t vanilla

1 c cake flour

1/8 t baking soda

Ingredients:  Cake flour, sugar, butter, egg, baking soda, Dutch cocoa, and powdered sugar.

And don't forget the vanilla!!!

I like to use non-stick foil to line my baking pan for easy slicing the brownies, and easy removal from the pan.

Line an 8x8-inch pan with non-stick foil with handles sticking out on opposite sides.

In a bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs; beat well.  In a little bowl, gradually mix water into cocoa.  Add cocoa/water and vanilla to butter mixture; beat well.   With a spoon or spatula, mix flour and baking soda together; add to cocoa mixture and stir to mix.  Pour into greased or foil-lined 8x8-inch pan.  Bake in preheated 325 degree F. oven for 35 to 40 minutes.  When cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Cut into squares to serve.

I like to mix the flour and baking soda in a small bowl.  Gradually stir the water into the cocoa and have the other ingredients measured and ready to go.

Cream the butter.  Add sugar and beat until fluffy.

Add egg and beat well.

Missed a picture:  Add cocoa/water mixture and vanilla.  Beat well.  Add flour mixture and stir with spoon or spatula to combine.

Ready to put in the pan.

Put batter in pan and spread to smooth out.

Bake in preheated 325 degree F. oven for 35 to 40 minutes.  Cool on a rack.  Lift foil out of pan with the side handles.

See how clean the pan is in the left corner.  Sprinkle top of brownies with powdered sugar.

Ready to be cut.  Press foil down from around the sides and cut brownie into bars.

Place on a plate and enjoy!

If I was young, I would put even more brownies on my plate than just 7 before I disappeared into my reading corner.

So GOOD!!!

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!!!

See off easily the brownies lift off the non-stick foil!