I needed to make a cake for Cecily’s birthday  party yesterday and I haven’t attempted one since we started going gluten free. I thought brownies would be pretty forgiving, really chocolate covers a lot. I think that they turned out really quite decadent. And they were even pretty healthy….for birthday cake that is. I found the original recipes from the glutenfreegoddess but since I just have to modify, I did enough tweaking that I think it is worth posting my own recipe. Although I am sure that the two original recipes were delicious as well.

Gluten-Free Peppermint Brownies

½ cup ground almonds

¼ cup brown rice flour *I now use more almond meal and skip the rice flour and it works great.

¾ cup honey

5 tablespoons cocoa

1 teaspoon  sea salt

1/2 cup coconut oil

2 eggs ( I had huge beautiful free range one from little local farm)

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp peppermint extract (omit if you don’t like peppermint)

Melt the coconut oil in a  medium size pot,  just until melted (don’t let it get too hot or boil). Add the honey so that it will soften as well.  Save on dishes and just add everything else to the pot and mix it up. Mix well.

Spread in an lightly greased 8X8 baking pan.  I sprinkled just a few chocolate chips over the top.

Bake at 350* for about 30 minutes. Be sure not to overcook, it is better undercooked if anything.

Cool and then chill in the fridge until serving.

I served it with Mint Chocolate chip ice cream (gluten free) and chocolate sauce. I also picture a light dust of powdered sugar with christmas design. Or some crumbled candy cane.