Our goal was to develop a rich, fudgy brownie with a gorgeous crackle top — a guilt-free treat.
First, we made our brownies healthier by cutting out over half of the butter, which reduces the unhealthy saturated fats. To keep their fudge-like quality, we added in a little canola oil (heart-healthy monounsaturated fat).
Then we reduced both eggs and sugar by half, reducing calories.
We still needed the richness that sugar provides, so we switched from unsweetened chocolate to a combination of semisweet and cocoa powder.
Since we had fewer eggs, and therefore less liquid, we reduced the amount of flour.
We added coffee and more vanilla extract for rich flavor.
We added a little baking soda to get a better rise and create the texture that eggs provide.
Lastly, we switched from a lined and buttered baking pan to a silicon baking pan that doesn't require any extra butter or spray.
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