Welcome to our annual collection of community holiday recipes. Each year, the 91原创 Advance Times casts a wide net asking for local people to share Christmas recipes that hold some significance to their family or themselves. This year, there's everything from cookies, pancakes, and fruit pizza to scalloped potatoes and cornbread.
We hope you enjoy this year's feature. And while one of the recipes is provided below, the entire section is available for viewing by clicking into our eEditions here.
Happy holiday, one and all.
鈥⑩赌⑩赌⑩赌⑩赌⑩赌⑩赌⑩赌⑩赌⑩赌�
Our family is a huge fan of Christmas baking, and any kind of treats we can enjoy when our crew gets together to play cards, or dominoes over the holidays.
Brownies are an all-time favourite, but through the last year or two, my youngest daughter, Hope and I have become gluten and dairy free, so we have been searching for holiday options so that we don't miss out on some Christmas treats.
Here's our latest favourite.
鈥� Shannon Todd Booth, executive director for 91原创 Hospice Society
Peppermint Brownies
(Dairy/gluten free)
Ingredients:
鈥� 1 cup creamy/smooth (runnier the better) almond butter
鈥� 3/4 cup maple syrup
鈥� 1 tsp peppermint extract
鈥� 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
鈥� 1/4 cup cornstarch
鈥� 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
鈥� 2 tsp baking powder
鈥� 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
鈥� 3/4 cup semi-sweet dairy-free chocolate chips (You NEED these for sweetness, flavour & fudginess)
鈥� 4 tbsp crushed candy canes/peppermints for topping
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350掳F and lightly grease an 8x8 square pan and cut off a square piece of parchment paper that will lie flat on the inside bottom of the pan.
In a large bowl, add the almond butter, syrup and peppermint extract. Stir for a minute or so until thoroughly mixed.
In a separate bowl, combine the flaxseed, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Whisk very well.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet.
Add the chocolate chips and then stir the mixture together slowly with a large spoon until it comes together into a thick and sticky chocolate batter. (It should not be pourable or runny).
Spoon the batter onto the prepared baking dish. It will take some work. You can use your fingers to pat it down as best you can and then take a piece of parchment paper to flatten it out.
Then dip your fingers repeatedly in water and then smooth the top and sides of the batter completely. Having wet fingertips makes it much easier to spread out the batter.
Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, depending on your oven.
Finished brownies will be puffed up, have a dry shiny top, but you will know they are done when you insert a toothpick in the middle and there are just a few sticky crumbs, not actual runny batter, on it.
Don't overbake. Check at 22 minutes. Add a minute at a time until you get just a few sticky crumbs.
While the brownies are baking, get your crushed candy canes ready to sprinkle on top as soon as you remove the brownies from the oven.
To crush them, either blend them up in a food processor so they are very tiny pieces (or add them to a Ziploc bag and pound them).
As soon as the brownies come out of the oven, sprinkle the crushed peppermints on top all over and gently press them in. The heat will slightly melt them, making them stick as they cool.
Leave to cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Then place the whole pan in the fridge for just another 30 minutes.
Remove from the fridge and use a sharp knife to slice. Enjoy!
You can keep them at room temperature for a softer brownie or the fridge for firmer ones.
