Vegan Chocolate Orange Brownies

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F) for 10 minutes and line an 8×10 inch rectangular baking tin or 5×10 inch bread tin mould with a parchment paper.
• In a frying pan, roast almonds in 1 tsp coconut oil over low heat. Allow them to cool and then roughly chop them.
• In a saucepan, melt the dark chocolate over low heat. Stir it occasionally until there are no lumps of chocolate left. Remove from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes.
• In a large bowl, sieve through all-purpose flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, and coffee powder. Mix them well.
• Now add pure vanilla extract, brown sugar, chopped roasted almonds (set aside about 1 Tbsp for later use), and fresh orange juice. Combine everything well. You will get a thick brownie batter. Then gently mix in dark chocolate chips.
• Smooth batter into the parchment-lined baking dish, and spread evenly. Sprinkle leftover chopped almonds on the top. Bake for 25 minutes.
• Remove from oven and top with melted chocolate and orange zest. Let it cool for 10 minutes before cutting.
• Finally, enjoy the brownie as it is or warm it in the oven or microwave for few minutes to relish with your favorite ice-cream flavor. You can also pour melted chocolate on the ice cream and top it with rainbow sprinkles.