Whole Wheat Spice Brownies

Or maybe this recipe might more accurately be called butter and brown sugar brownies. It has a lot of butter and brown sugar. That combination creates a chewy soft brownie. This brownie keeps well on the kitchen counter. It begins soft and chewy, then slowly dries out and becomes crunchy. I prefer a semi-sweet chocolate but you could substitute dark chocolate.

Ingredients

Semi-sweet baking chocolate, 2 oz

Butter, ½ cup, plus ½ tsp

Dark brown sugar, 1 cup packed

Eggs, 2

Ground cinnamon, 1 tsp

Vanilla, 1 tsp

Baking powder, ¼ tsp

Ground ginger, ¼ cup

Ground cloves, 1/8 tsp

Whole wheat flour, ½ cup

Walnuts, 1 cup chopped

Preparation

Butter an 8-inch square baking pan, using the ½ teaspoon of butter. Use a double boiler to melt the chocolate. A double boiler will have water in the lower pan. The water will not touch the bottom of the top pan. Use the lid. It takes about 5 minutes for the chocolate to melt. After it melts, take the top pan off the bottom pan. Allow the chocolate to cool. While the chocolate is cooling, prepare the next ingredients in the bowl of a standing electric mixer. The butter must be at room temperature and soft. Use the paddle attachment to mix everything. Add the butter, brown sugar, eggs and melted chocolate. Start with the low speed and gradually increase to a medium speed. The batter will become light and smooth. Now add in your spices, the baking powder and vanilla. The flour goes in next. Last you add the walnuts. Spread the batter evenly in the baking pan. Bake 25 minutes in a preheated 350 F oven.