Chewy brownie drops made with barley flour, spiced with cinnamon, and full of crunchy toasted almond bits
A very interesting version of brownies, shaped like drop cookies, and flavored with cinnamon, vanilla and a touch of almond extract. They also contain 50% of barley flour, which contributes great flavor and a velvety texture. Toasted almonds provide a wonderful crunch and are very well paired with chocolate. All in all, a variation on classic brownies really worth trying.
From the original recipe by Miss Diether (Boston Cooking School)
In: “American Cookery”, 1917—USA
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Ingredients:
1/2 cup (113 g) butter
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
2 squares (56 g) unsweetened baking chocolate
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (65 g) AP flour
1/2 cup (75 g) whole-grain barley flour (stone-ground)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp pure almond extract
1 cup (145 g) blanched almonds
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), place the almonds on a cookie sheet and toast them until they are a reddish-brown color. Set aside to cool, then coarsely chop.
Melt the chocolate and set aside.
In a large bowl cream the butter and add the sugar little by little—the mixture does not need to be fluffy. Add the eggs and the melted chocolate, mixing well. Finally mix in the almond and vanilla extract.
Sift together the two flours and the ground cinnamon, then add to the chocolate mixture, stirring gently just until incorporated. Finally stir in the chopped almonds.
Place the mixture for 15 minutes to chill in the refrigerator, and meanwhile lightly grease 2 cookie sheets (preferably insulated).
Shape the brownie drops by rounded teaspoons and bake in a preheated oven (325°F—160°C) for about 10 minutes.
Let the brownies cool on the baking sheet—they are too fragile to remove while warm.
P.S. I have recreated the original recipe as it was written, so I made the brownies as drop cookies. However, they can be baked in an 8×8-inch square pan (better lined with aluminum foil and then lightly greased) and then cut into bars.