Cakey-Chewy Vegan Brownies

After four sometimes painful tries, I have found the right combination of ingredients to get cakey-chewy brownies.  The key was adding baking powder to the mix to get a bit of a rise and not end up with a dense oily mess.

Ingredients
10 tbs margarine (1 1/4 sticks)
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 tbs almond milk
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecan, optional

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil, allowing the foil to hang over two sides.

Combine margarine, sugar, cocoa and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water.  Stir periodically until mixture is melted and well combined.  Remove from heat and allow to cool a few minutes.

Stir in vanilla, almond milk and xanthan gum.  Add flour and baking powder and stir to combine.  Add nuts if using.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs.  Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.  When cool, hold the edges of the foil to remove the brownies from the pan.  Peel off the foil and cut into 16 to 24 squares, depending on your preference.