Rich Chocolate Brownies - vegan

Cracked top and fudgy texture- these are classic brownies...

At long last I have achieved a brownie that's a bit more brownie-like than just a square of chocolate cake. It's much more like the classic fudgy-textured brownie, and is rich enough without recourse to nuts, chocolate chips or frosting. As the weather outside is still cold (it snowed today for over 12 hours and is still going strong as I write this at night) I wanted to bake something that is great to curl up with in the warm, maybe with a mug of steaming cocoa. I haven't posted a cake since the Christmas cake in the Christmas recipe roundup nearly a month ago, so I figured it was about time...
The richness comes from using melted chocolate as well as cocoa powder, plus chocolate flavoured "milk". The fudginess is helped along by using melted gour (unrefined sweetener from boiled sugar cane juice) rather than normal sugar. This recipe makes 15-18 brownies, in 2 small rectangular trays.

400g self-raising flour
3 tsps baking powder
3 rounded tabs cocoa powder
150g gour
100g melted dark chocolate
50ml oil (I used sunflower, as that was all I had in the cupboard, but coconut oil would probably be best)
400ml "Kara" chocolate coconut "milk" (chocolate or regular soya milk would do fine)

• Mix the flour, baking powder and cocoa in a large bowl.
• Melt the chocolate, gour and oil in a bowl over a pan of hot water.
• When smooth, whisk in the "milk", keeping it on a gentle heat.
• Add this liquid to the dry mixture and beat until thoroughly combined.
• Spread evenly into the bottom of 2 half-sized rectangular trays, about 2cm deep (it does rise) and bake at 180C for 15 -20 minutes.
• Remove from oven when a thin skewer inserted into the centre of the tin emerges clean. Cut into rectangles or squares while still warm and remove from the tin when cooled.

Enjoy with a hot cup of cocoa!

PS: Recipe for sugar-free chocolate brownies with dates and hazelnuts is here.