Special Reunion Edition #3: Chai Brownies

These dairy-free and egg-free brownies call for masala chai, but we made do with a regular chai teabag.

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 20 min

Set time: 1 hour

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder [0.5 - 1 Tbsp is sufficient]

1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup white sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup very strongly brewed masala chai [we used one teabag and brewed it in 6 oz of water for about 10 minutes]

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray an 8x8 inch baking pan with cooking spray, and dust lightly with the 2 tablespoons cocoa powder [less, as per above]. 

Place the coconut in the jar of a blender, and pulse to mince [we didn't blend the coconut at all]; set aside.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the brewed chai, canola oil, and vanilla extract, just until all ingredients are moistened. Fold in the coconut. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven until the top is no longer shiny, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 1 hour before cutting.

Verdict

Surprise favourites! After 20 minutes in the oven, a toothpick inserted in the brownies came out COVERED in goo. Every minute of the one hour cooling time was needed for these chocolately treats to set. Although the consistency of the dessert made us wonder whether we would even be able to serve them, let alone enjoy them, the combination of coconut and chocolate turned out to be irresistable. Seconds were had by all. 

The brownies could use a few more minutes of baking time, to help the middle set a little better. The chai tea didn't seem to lend much flavour to the dessert, so it may need to be a stronger brew, or to be brewed with milk. Or, maybe, I'd just open up the tea bag and dump the spices in the batter. We'll see.

The next day I had a strong hankering for more, and after satisfying that (twice...), I am firmly convinced that these are the best brownies I have ever had. A bold statement, I know, but I'll ponder it more as we finish the rest of the plate in the coming days!