AnchorMommy

Brownie Batter Sundae

August 17, 2009 by Shannon

This is the story of a pretty rotten week, my attempt to find solace in a plate of brownies, and how I completely botched the recipe…only to discover one of the most delightful treats I’ve ever tasted: the Brownie Batter Sundae.

So in a nutshell: Michael was really sick last week, I didn’t feel great either, we had health insurance issues to deal with, the house was a wreck….blah blah blah. Just one of those weeks. So I decided Kellan and I should have some fun. I pulled out all the ingredients and we got to work on a batch of brownies. The thing is, I didn’t have all the usual ingredients, so I decided to wing it. I threw in a banana instead of butter, whole wheat flour instead of white, and cornstarch instead of eggs. Well, I thought I was putting in cornstarch. Somewhere in my frazzled mind, I translated BAKING POWDER for CORNSTARCH. 

The batter puffed up to three times its size in the oven and oozed out of the baking dish. Thank goodness I noticed what was happening and slipped a cookie sheet underneath to catch the mess before it gooed up the bottom of my oven. Eventually the gigantic blob of batter sunk. The top cooked quite nicely, but the center of the brownies did not. Which brings me to the Brownie Batter Sundae.

The Brownie Batter Sundae combines the simple joy of ice cream with the gooey delightfulness of batter and a slightly crispy crunch. This sundae employs the same concept as the uber-popular cookie batter ice creams and toppings beloved by ice cream eaters everywhere. Only it’s one step better — it is super chocolaty.

The reason why the failed brownies are still edible is because they contain no eggs. Plus, keep in mind that this batter is made with whole wheat flour and bananas. No white flour, no butter! There is sugar in there, but not a ton. And there’s chocolate. But chocolate is good for you, right? (Note: I’ve cut down the amount of baking powder in this recipe, so you don’t experience the same gigantic, growing batter blob that I did. Still, I’d recommend a deep-sided baking dish. Just in case.)

Brownie Batter Sundae

Batter ingredients:

• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1.5 cup sugar
• 1 banana, mashed
• 1.5 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Handful of chocolate chips (approx. 1/2 cup)

Sundae ingredients:

• Your favorite ice cream or frozen yogurt
• Whipped cream or yogurt (yeah, yogurt is good on sundaes — especially Greek yogurt!)
• Nuts
• Berries
• Sprinkles

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a deep-sided baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Beat oil, sugar, mashed banana, vanilla and baking powder in a bowl.
3. Add the whole wheat flour, cocoa powder and salt. Mix until combined.
4. Fold in the chocolate chips and pour into baking dish. Bake 20-25 minutes until top is crispy and a toothpick inserted in the center DOES NOT come out clean!

Let the brownie batter cool, and then plop some of it on top of a scoop of your favorite ice cream. Then shower it with toppings to your heart’s delight. I love mine with a nice big dollop of Greek yogurt and chopped walnuts. 

The moral of this story? If life gives you a failed pan of brownies, make a brownie sundae. You’ll feel a lot better.