I make - My go-to Gluten Free Brownies

I think I found my go-to brownies recipe (thank Kat again) and perhaps cracked the issue I've long had with brownie baking. All the brownie recipes say with the toothpick test to look for many moist crumbs attached for fudgy brownies. The thing is, it always takes a lot longer than the specified time for my brownie toothpick test to come out with moist crumbs and every time my brownies ends up too dry. So this time, I decided to remove my brownies when an inserted toothpick covered in half-baked batter while baking for the specified time. Voila, although the inserted toothpick comes out with half-baked batter, it cools down to just a few moist crumbs afterwards. The brownies does continue to cook after being removed from the oven and the right texture (for me) is obtained to have it slowly cooks in its own heat.

The recipe I used is from The Loopy Whisk, so far the most reproducible gluten free baking website/author I've ever come across. With slight alternations, here is my go-to gluten free brownies, chocolaty and fudgy.

My Go-To Gluten Free Brownies

140 g unsalted or salted butter
250 g chopped dark chocolate, 60-70% cocoa solids (I sub 50 g of gianduja for chocolate)
3 UK medium eggs, room temperature
200 g sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tbsps black coffee (optional)
75 g plain gluten free flour blend
30 g cocoa powder
½ tsp xanthan gum (Omit if your gluten free flour blend already contains xanthan gum.)
½ tsp salt
chopped walnuts or pecans to decorate the top

Preheat the oven to 160ºC. Line a 20x20cm metal tin with baking paper.

Melt the butter and chocolate in a milk pan on low heat. Stir to mix everything together. Remove from the heat when everything has melted.

Whisk the eggs and sugar in a large bowl for 2 minutes. Add in vanilla and coffee (if using) for another 3 minutes or until the egg mixture is pale and fluffy, without any visible sugar granules.

Pour in the butter and chocolate mixture, and fold them in using a rubber spatula until fully incorporated.

Sift in the gluten free flour blend, Dutch processed cocoa powder, xanthan gum and salt, and fold them in until just combined.

Transfer the brownie batter into the lined baking tin and smooth out the top.

Sprinkle the chopped nuts (if using) on top and bake at 160ºC for 24-26 minutes for fudgy brownies. Do the toothpick test at 24 minutes. It's likely that the toothpick will come out with half-baked batter. This is when you need to know your oven. I removed my brownies at 26 minutes and the texture is just right for me, fudgy not dry nor gooey. 

Allow the brownies to cool completely in the baking tin before removing them out of the tin, slicing and serving.