Makes 16 large or 25 small brownies
1/2 cup aquafaba (see sidebar)
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder (optional, but encouraged)
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (homemade recipe featured in cookbook)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch-square baking dish with a parchment sling — two pieces of parchment paper going in opposite directions with an overhang over the edges of the pan — so you can easily lift the brownies out. Alternatively, line the bottom and sides with aluminum foil.
Place the aquafaba in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip, using the whisk attachment on medium speed, until the aquafaba gets foamy, and then on medium-high until it gets thick and very foamy, and soft peaks form, 10 to 20 minutes. Once you get soft peaks, stop whipping; just as with egg whites, it is possible to overwhip aquafaba and have it deflate. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, espresso powder (if using), and sugar in a medium-size bowl. Gradually add about half of the combined dry ingredients to the aquafaba, stirring each time to gently combine. Mix in the butter and vanilla extract, then gradually add the remaining dry ingredients and stir until just combined — it will be a thick batter. Evenly spread the batter in the prepared dish and bake until the brownies look set and the edges are just starting to pull away from the sides of the dish, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in the dish, then remove and cut into 16 or 25 squares. Any leftover brownies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
Excerpted from Cooking With Scraps by Lindsay-Jean Hard (Workman Publishing). Copyright © 2018. Photographs by Penny De Los Santos.