Wheat Recipes -- Brownies

I've always loved baking. My mom used to call me "Cookie" because I baked cookies so much. I also loved baking bread of all kinds. Even in college, I remember running home on my lunch break, making a batch of cookies, and coming back with the finished goods. In fact, I baked a LOT of cookies while in college and it showed! I gained weight and had a hard time getting it off. It was a 4 year battle. So I've slowed down on the cookie baking, but still bake treats from time to time. Here are a few recipes I've changed to make a little healthier for my kids. I'm thinking of morphing the brownie recipe a bit more to reduce the oil and salt. I'll add those results to this post when I do. For now, here's the rich recipe. It's from a Betty Crocker Cookie Book, but I've changed the shortening to oil, the white flour to wheat, and the sugar to unrefined sugar (either sucanat or evaporated cane juice). This pic is from two nights ago btw. My daughter decided she'd rather have some of these than birthday cake or whatever sugary treats her friends might bring her at school the next day.


Brownies
1 c. oil
2 c. unrefined sugar
4 eggs
2 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. wheat flour
1 c. cocoa
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 c. walnuts (optional)

Mix ingredients in order listed. Pour onto baking sheet or stone with 4 sides (could probably bake in an oblong pan for thicker brownies if you don't have that kind of baking sheet). I don't oil mine because I use a seasoned stone, but you may want to spray yours or lightly oil the pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes (until dry in the middle). Let cool and serve.


Update (4/4): I made the brownie recipe, cutting the oil and salt in half (and replacing the oil that I omitted with water). I decided to get some fiber in there by adding 2 (yes two!) cups of oatmeal. I'm not sure what I think yet. They're good (my 16 year old daughter keeps telling me that she loves them), but they are lacking some flavor. But they are very filling, that's for sure. Must be the fiber. The regular brownie recipe is more gooey. These are more cakey. I'm wondering if I just increased the oil from 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup if they'd have enough flavor. I'm sure I'll have another update when I find that perfect recipe.......