Fudgy Brownies

When Aparna announced that she was hosting Tried and Tasted featuring Lisa's Kitchen this month, I knew I wanted to participate in this one. For once, I knew exactly what to make too. I have been following Lisa's blog for almost two years now and had bookmarked this recipe, among a few others, from her blog a while ago.

I have made a lot of brownies since I first "discovered" the world of food blogs since I find that few desserts are more satisfying than rich and warm gooey brownies. I've tried out different recipes over time and have had satisfactory results for the most part. This recipe in particular interested me since it had no added fat - not that there's anything wrong with a bit of fat- but I was a bit curious to find out for myself the final product's taste and texture.

I made a few additions to Lisa's recipe though. I threw some toasted hazelnuts into the brownie batter. Also, since chocolate and orange is one of my all time flavor combinations, I added some orange zest.

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 cup sugar (I would decrease this a bit the next time I make this- it was a little too sweet for me)
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
6 Tbsp yogurt
Zest of an orange
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup all-purpose flour
A handful of chopped hazelnuts, toasted in the oven at 350 degrees F for 7-10 minutes
A pinch of salt
½ tsp baking powder

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8-inch baking dish with foil and grease with oil/butter.

In a bowl, beat the egg with sugar till light in color and fluffy.

Add cocoa powder, yogurt, orange zest (optional), vanilla extract and mix well. Incorporate the flour, salt and baking powder into the mixture and mix gently until well combined.

Add toasted hazelnuts and fold into the batter. This is optional, but if adding please toast them since it brings out their incredibly rich nutty flavor.

Bake in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out relatively clean. Cool and cut into squares.
These fudgy brownies taste best when they're fresh, warm and straight from the oven. This recipe is fantastic and I will keep going back to it when I'm in the mood for a simple and delicious treat.