In January of 2006 I purchased at Whole Foods a package of Bob's Red Mill GF Brownie Mix for $5.49. The package lists that it is both wheat free and dairy free, as well as being an all natural product. Rich chocolaty caught my eye, as well as easy to prepare. Back in my teenage years and before having kids I considered myself a baker. I loved to make lasagna and Irish Soda bread.

The back of the package states to sell by 4-26-2007 and lists directions on the fudge topping and cream cheese brownies. Initially I purchased a bag of Ghiardelli Chocolate Chips to put some inside the brownies with the remaining as a topping. This did not materialize since one weekend I could not find any suitable chocolate in the house and proceeded to consume the chips.

There are four steps within the directions of making Bob's Red Mill GF Brownie Mix. First you preheat oven to 350 degrees. One day I was about to make the brownies when I realized the directions called for a 13x9-inch pan. I did not have anything that size and did not want to mess up the brownies. I did pick up the disposable kind of pan at the grocery store, although when it came time to put the batter inside the pan it looked like it would not fill the entire pan!

The pan gets sprayed with cooking or baking spray. I keep Mazola Cooling Oil in my refrigerator and utilized it on the pan with ease. This is fat free and zero cholesterol. My next mistake was not getting a large mixing bowl and having to switch to a larger bowl and pour contents into it. This was not noticed until the whole bowl was filled with the mix and I contemplated how the other ingredients would fit inside.

You will need to add 3/4 cup or 1 1/2 sticks of melted butter or margarine - that is a lot of butter and it tasted really good when finished. I use parkay sticks and have for toast and vegetables Country Crock with calcium. One egg is needed along with 2 tsp of vanilla. I had to pick some up at the store - McCormick Pure Vanilla extract, 1 ounce bottle. The last ingredient is 3/4 cup warm water (110).

I used bottle water in the microwave to get to a warm temperature. The directions mention using an electric mixer on medium to combine ingredients. I only have a hand held mixer and the beaters kept coming out. It took awhile to beat the mixture so that the butter was mixed in.

The batter is placed in the pan for 20-25 minutes. The house filled with a wonderful aroma. I took it out before getting kids from school and upon entering the house the sweet smell of chocolate invited us into the kitchen.

The calories per serving are 180 with 70 from fat. There are 17 grams of sugar, 8% iron, 2% Vitamin A and Calcium. The recipe for the fudge topping lists ingredients as condensed milk, vanilla and chocolate chips. Bob's Red Mill products are labeled Gluten Free and batch tested in a controlled laboratory.

There are 16 generous servings within this 21 ounce package of Bob's Red Mill GF Brownie Mix. I loved the brownies and Nicholas tried a piece or two and really liked them. It is a dark chocolate taste in a moist cake texture, very chewy and yummy brownies. I would have never known they were wheat and dairy free.

The ingredients in the mix - Turbinado Sugar, Ghiardelli Cocoa, Potato Starch, White Sorghum Flour, Tapioca Flour, Whole Corn Flour, Sea Salt, Baking Powder (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Corn Starch and Monocalcium Phosphate) and Xanthan Gum.

I highly recommend making this mix for parties for those who are wheat sensitive and for children on the Spectrum who have specific diet issues removing dairy and wheat. Making these brownies for Easter Dinner would be a great dessert. This would be suitable for holiday gatherings and everyday snacks.

They were a hit with this chocoholic and not too difficult to make. Next time I am using chips. The mix can be purchased at the website for $6.09 or by the case. The other option is at your local Whole Foods Market.

Today after posting this article I received the catalog in the mail for Bob's Red Mill. The prices are very reasonable. They also sell cooking accessories and logo merchandise.