Brownie À La Mode (gf) Recipe

Preheat and prepare pan

Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two opposite sides to lift brownies out easily; lightly grease the parchment.

Melt chocolate and butter

Combine the chopped bittersweet chocolate and unsalted butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water (double boiler) or melt gently in 20–30 second bursts in the microwave, stirring between intervals until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool for 3–5 minutes.

Combine sugar and eggs

Whisk the granulated sugar and whole eggs together in a medium bowl until just combined and glossy (no need to reach ribbon stage). Whisk in the vanilla extract and the optional espresso or strong coffee.

Incorporate chocolate into egg mixture

Slowly pour about one-third of the melted chocolate mixture into the egg-sugar mixture while whisking briskly to temper the eggs and avoid scrambling. Once combined, fold in the remaining chocolate with a rubber spatula until homogeneous.

Add dry ingredients

Sift or whisk together the gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour blend, unsweetened cocoa powder, and sea salt in a small bowl. Fold the dry mixture into the chocolate-egg batter in two additions, folding just until no streaks remain. If using nuts, gently fold them in now.

Bake

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 22–28 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center still has a slight jiggle (a toothpick inserted into the center should come out with a few moist crumbs). Do not overbake to keep fudgy texture.

Cool

Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack (about 1–1.5 hours) so they set. Use the parchment overhang to lift the brownies from the pan and transfer to a cutting board. For cleaner slices, chill 20–30 minutes before cutting.

Cut brownies into 4 equal squares (or 9 smaller pieces if serving more people). Place one warm or room-temperature brownie on each dessert plate.

Top each brownie with one scoop of vanilla ice cream. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of hot fudge or chocolate sauce over the ice cream and brownie. Sprinkle a pinch (about 1/8 tsp) of flaky sea salt over the top if desired.

Serve immediately so the ice cream melts slightly over the warm brownie for the classic à la mode experience.