Double Dark Chocolate Brownies

These wonderfully rich double dark chocolate brownies are made with heart healthy canola oil that is high in monounsaturated fats and may improve your cholesterol levels.

Cocoa, being a bean, is also rich in a group of phytochemicals called flavanols, which may improve blood flow and the function of your blood vessels.

A heart healthy oil works as well as or better than butter, shortening or margarine in baking, especially when you are talking about a brownie, cake, pastry, pie crust or quick bread. I recommend using canola, corn, olive, sunflower and just about any non-tropical vegetable oil in baking.

Since oils and shortening are 100 percent fat, and butter or margarine is 80 percent fat, you only need to use three-fourths of the amount of oil when the recipe calls for butter or margarine. For example, if a recipe calls for 12 tbsp. of butter, then substitute 9 tbsp. of oil and add a little extra moisture (use water or larger eggs) to make up the lost volume of moisture in the recipe.

"This is a heart healthy-fat dessert option for a special occasion. Enjoy!"
- Michelle MacDonald, RD, MS, CDE, Dietitian, Health Services

Ingredients

9 tbsp. canola oil (as a substitute for ¾ cup or 12 tbsp. melted butter)
1 ½ cups sugar (may reduce per your own preference and taste)
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs (use extra-large eggs for added moisture)
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup coarsely chopped nuts (optional)

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8” x 8” pan with canola oil.
In bowl, stir together oil, sugar, vanilla. Add eggs; beat well with spoon.
Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended.
Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.
Bake 40-45 minutes, until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool for 10 minutes, and serve with fresh fruit.