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From America's Test Kitchen Season 8: Lightening Up Chocolate Desserts
We have tried many recipes for “healthy” brownies, but it usually takes just one bite to regret the effort. Either the texture is incredibly dry or the chocolate flavor is anemic. We wanted a moist, fudgy, chocolaty brownie that had a lower fat and calorie count than a traditional brownie, which can weigh in at over 200 calories and 12 grams of fat.
We knew the richness and flavor would have to come from somewhere if we were cutting back on butter and unsweetened chocolate. We started our tests with “alternative” ingredients, such as prune puree, applesauce, and yogurt, but they resulted in everything from oddly-flavored brownies to flavorless hockey pucks. We had more success replacing some of the butter with low-fat sour cream, which yielded moist, fudgy brownies. A blend of cocoa powder and bittersweet chocolate (which has less fat per ounce than unsweetened chocolate) added deep chocolate flavor. And to boost both the brownies’ chocolate flavor and moisture without adding any fat, we used a shot of chocolate syrup. Our brownies were now rich and decadent, but with half the calories (just 110 per serving) and fat (only 4.5 grams) of traditional brownies.
Makes 16 brownies
Melt the chocolate and butter together in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water or in a microwave set to 50 percent power. For a truly fudgy consistency, don't overbake the brownies; as soon as a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with sticky crumbs attached, the brownies are done. If the toothpick emerges with no crumbs, the brownies will be cakey.
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