Gluten-Free Frosted Red Wine Brownies

Leftover wine? I don’t know what that is but in case you do these are the perfect way use up the bottom of the bottle (or maybe just an excuse to open one). Complete with a frosting made with a wine reduction!

Happy Valentine’s Day! I actually made these brownies for a Galentine’s Day party last night. Actually if we are going to be honest I’ve made these brownies at least 4 times now. Not because they are amazing (even though they are despite how that sounded) and not because I was tweaking it, but because I’ve been trying to post this silly recipe on my blog for the past 9 months. Why has it taken me that long? Like I said, i wasn’t tinkering with the recipe, there were no kinks to work out, the kinks existed in my everyday life because every time I made them, the timing was terrible and today’s version is no exception.

The first two times did not come with frosting – that was a thought bubble that came later. The first was for an event with the Columbus Food Bloggers at Inked & Screened and I quite literally pulled them out of the oven moments before I needed to leave for said event. Super delicious but not photogenic in their hot gooey state. The second was for my shower, but no they were not actually served at my shower, more so I brought them to my shower to give to one of my bridesmaids who originally gave me the idea to make them in the first place I don’t remember why I failed to take pictures of them but I bet I made them right before we left to drive to Rochester for the weekend for said shower. The frosting finally came around when I made them the third time for an undergraduate student in the lab who was turning 21 that has celiac. But yet again I did not get photos because I baked them late the night before and frosted them in the wee hours of the morning before leaving for work (at 6:15am mind you).

So here we are, the fourth time I’ve made these brownies and yet I have to admit I still made them in haste. They came out of the oven at the very time I should have been leaving for a Galentine’s Day party, but I was determined, so I stuck them in the fridge in an attempt to cool them faster while I made the frosting. Of course the brownies were still warm but at this point the sun was setting and I was already going to be 30 minutes late so I slathered on the frosting, cut them up, and shot a few photos before racing out the door to stuff my face with all the deliciousness made by my friends Hannah and Joel of The Beard and the Baker. Are they the pictures I had hoped for? No. Are they worth making a fifth time in attempts to get the photos I want? Yes, but dang it it’s Valentine’s Day and I want to share these with the world! I also wanted to be real, that this is my reality, friends. Sometimes you have to embrace that gooey, still-hot-from-the-oven brownie with the frosting melting off the top. Not all delicious food is pretty and the same goes for the opposite (heck the same could be said about people).

One year ago: Purple Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Five years ago: Valentine’s Day Recipes for Two Roundup

Six years ago: Sun-Dried Tomato Ravioli with Basil Cream Sauce & Jumbo Reese’s Heart Stuffed Cookie

Seven years ago: Raspberry Hugs Cheesecake Blossoms

Eight years ago: Sweet Swirl Cookies

GLUTEN-FREE FROSTED RED WINE BROWNIES

Makes 16 bars

Ingredients:

BROWNIES

1/3 cup cornstarch, spooned and leveled

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces

12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs

1/4 cup red wine

FROSTING

1/3 cup red wine

1 Tbsp sugar

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

1 to 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8×8-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Lightly grease the parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together cornstarch, cocoa, and salt.
3. In a large microwave-safe bowl, microwave butter and chocolate in 30-second increments, stirring each time, until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes. Stir in sugar and vanilla. Stir in eggs, one at a time, until combined.
4. Add cornstarch mixture and whisk vigorously until mixture is smooth and begins to pull away from side of bowl, about 2 minutes. Add wine and whisk for an additional 30 seconds, or until just incorporated.
5. Spread batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
6. Bake 30-35 minutes, turning halfway, or until a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Transfer pan to wire rack and cool 1.5 hours.
7. Using parchment overhang, lift brownies from pan. Return brownies to wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour.
8. While the brownies cool, make the frosting. Place red wine and tablespoon of sugar in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Stir constantly until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook while stirring occasionally until is it reduced to about 3 tablespoons.
9. In a medium bowl, beat the butter until fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time until it forms a fluffy frosting. Add wine reduction, 1/2 Tbsp regular wine, and continue beating. Add more powdered sugar if needed to reach desired consistency. Spread over cooled brownies.

Source: Adapted from my Gluten-Free Pop Rocks Brownies (aka Doc Brownies) and the frosting from Sensual Appeal.