Easy Ooey Gooey Gluten Free and Vegan Brownies

Some days you just really want a brownie.

You're food shopping and just thinking about that brownie. And then you're at the gym, thinking about that brownie (And that 40 minutes on the elliptical will only erase half of its calories, oh well!) Finally, it's 6:45pm and you're ready to make dinner, but you can't really focus on it because, well, you're still thinking about that brownie. That day was yesterday. I decided to experiment with Cup4Cup's gluten and dairy-free brownie mix. Even though I don't follow a gluten free diet, Cup4Cup was created by chef Lena Kwak while working at the renowned Thomas Keller’s (Yes, that Thomas Keller. Per Se's Thomas Keller) French Laundry, so I figured it'd be good.

The back of the bag has a simple (I'm talking even a 10-year-old could do it) recipe that requires only buttery spread or coconut oil (I used Earth Balance's Organic Coconut Spread which is great for baking), water and eggs (ick!). In lieu of eggs, I made a flax "egg" with three tablespoons water and one tablespoon flaxseed meal for each egg the recipe called for. Tip: To avoid the ends getting slightly tough (whoops!) add a little extra coconut oil or butter.