Add some holiday spirit by serving Spiced Brownies with a little cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and anise. (Photo: Whitney/Creative Commons)
Desserts and cookies are plentiful during the holiday season, but few treats can rival warm brownies. We turned up the spice and brought down the calories a tad in this twist on a year-round favorite. Remember, we said a tad. If you grab too many, that’s on you!
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
A dash each of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and anise
1/3 cup salted or unsalted butter
2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup granulated sugar or Splenda
1/4 cup low-fat milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg
Preheat oven to 350 F. Whisk flour, cocoa, salt and spices in a bowl, and then set aside. Place butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high for 15 seconds; then stir. Heat and stir two more times until smooth. Set aside to cool.
Whisk sugar, milk, vanilla extract and eggs. Add chocolate mixture, and stir.
Pour batter into a prepared, 8-inch-square pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Test the center by inserting a toothpick or butter knife, which should come out almost clean. Allow to cool. Slice four rows and columns to make 16 two-inch squares.
Nutritional Information per serving: 147 calories; fat: 6.1g saturated fat: 3.6g monounsaturated fat: 1.5g polyunsaturated fat: 0.3g protein: 2.3g carbohydrate: 22.4g fiber: 1.3g cholesterol: 47mg iron: 1mg sodium: 73mg calcium: 15mg
