Picual-Arbequina Brownies {Gluten-Free}

Years ago, R ordered chocolate mousse with olive oil and sea salt for dessert at local restaurant. And ever since, I have been borderline-obsessed with that combination. I love the overwhelming rich, lush complexity of both!

You can read about how I came to get such a lovely gift in my recipe post for Berenjenas con Miel (Eggplants with Black Honey): here. Also in that care package was a container of a Picual-Arbequina olive oil blend. 

This olive oil has a strong, grassy taste with a little bit of a spicy kick at the end. It's delicious and I knew that I wanted to use it in a dessert - with chocolate. I decided to whip up a batch of gluten-free olive oil brownies. So amazing. Am I allowed to say that about my own recipe??

Ingredients

• 1/4 C gluten-free flour (I used a blend of sorghum and brown rice flours)
• 1/3 C unsweetened cooca powder
• 1/4 t baking powder
• 1/4 t sea salt
• 1/3 C olive oil (I prefer the stronger olive oils for this and used a Picual-Arbequina olive oil blend)
• 5 ounces dark or bittersweet chocolate (70-75%), finely chopped
• 3/4 C organic granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 t pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 C semisweet chocolate chunks or chips

Procedure

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or butter an 8" square baking pan.

Whisk together gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine olive oil and chopped chocolate. Stir over low heat, with a spatula, until chocolate is almost melted. Remove from heat and continue to gently stir until smooth.

Whisk in granulated sugar until completely moistened. The brownie batter will be slightly grainy and paste-like. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until batter is smooth and shiny. Whisk in vanilla. Gently fold in the dry ingredients until just moistened. Stir in chocolate chunks. Spread into prepared pan, smoothing the top of the batter with a spatula.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until top is shiny and crackly. A toothpick inserted near the center should come out mostly clean. Cool on a wire rack for until completely cooled before slicing and serving.