vegan mocha brownie

anyone else out there like me who is unfortunate enough to not be able to eat chocolate?? i've been doing really well not craving chocolate products until the last few days. yesterday, i cracked. i had limited ingredients but found a great recipe for a vegan brownie. it was delicious! it also made me sick (how unusual!). i halved the batch and made it gluten free too (oh and i put a handful of dried cranberries in too).

i gave the rest of what i resisted to mum to take to work this morning and made myself a batch i could eat during my lunch break.

so this is my version of a vegan mocha brownie:

1 cup plain gluten free flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 of a 3/4 cup of carob powder
a couple of spoonfuls of good decaf coffee
(i used crappy coffee and it good coffee would be better!)
1/2 tspn baking powder
1/2 tspn salt
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup rice bran oil
1 tspn vanilla extract
handful of dried cranberries (or fresh raspberries would be delish!!)

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees.
Sift all dry ingredients together in a bowl.
Pour in liquids and fruit and mix until well combined.
Pour into pan lined with baking paper (means you dont have to wash the tray. lazy?? me??)
Bake for 15/20 mins until the top is no longer shiny.
Let cool for at least 10 mins before cutting into squares.

While carob doesnt taste half as good as cocoa does, the coffee disguises a bit of the taste.
And well this is the closest thing to a brownie that I can eat without being sick, so it's pretty damn good :)

tara louise.