Gluten-Free Nutty Brownies

Did I ever tell you that I am part of the most wonderful book club?  Janssen was in it first, and always spoke so fondly of it, that it sounded like something I would love to be a part of one day.

This book club has rather a lot of rules, including that there are only 12 members of the group, so I was not invited while Janssen was part of it (which was completely okay with me, by the way), but a year or so after she moved away, someone else dropped out, and I was invited to join.

I jumped at the chance, and have found this book club to be one of the most rewarding activities of my life.  I have had such a wonderful association with the women in this group, and have read some outstanding books.  This book club is truly a judgement-free zone.

Twice a year, I am in charge of bringing food, and for March's meeting, we read "Bread and Wine," a truly exceptional book by Shauna Neiquist (I also want to read her book, "Present Over Perfect").  It is a semi-memoir, where she shares some of her most poignant and wonderful experiences with food.  It is a beautifully written book, and has some tasty recipes in it.

I made these brownies from her book, adapted slightly, because I didn't have walnuts on hand, but they were some of the best brownies I have ever had.  And I don't even like brownies with nuts!

They are great even if you are not gluten-free, even better if you are!  Next time you are looking to make an exceptional dessert, look no further.  You won't regret it!

Nutty Brownies

Adapted slightly from Nigella Lawson 

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1 cup butter

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup white sugar

3 large eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups almond meal

1 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat your oven to 325°F.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate chips together.  Remove the pan from heat once smooth, and add the vanilla and sugar.  Let cool for 4-5 minutes, then add the eggs, almond meal and pecans.

Grease an 8x8 pan, and pour the brownie batter in.

Bake for 25-30 minutes (I baked mine for closer to 45 minutes), or until the edges and top are set, but the middle is still a little jiggly.

Remove from the oven, let cool, and serve at room temperature or cold.