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I want to thank all of you who took the time to respond.  I received over
50 responses and a few great recipes, which I am including.  Out of the
prepared mixes, it was a toss up between Gluton-Free Pantry Mix and Pamelas
that most of you suggested as being "the best" by far.  Now for the recipes:

I did try this one last night and it was nice and moist.

Heavenly Brownies

1/2 cup sifted gf flour mix
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 squares (2 oz) unsweetened chocolate or 6 T cocoa plus 2 T margarine (I
   did use the 2 squares of unsweetened chocolate)
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped nuts.
1 tsp gf vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Sift flour with baking powder. Melt chocolate and butter in large saucepan.
Remove from heat. Blend in sugar. Add eggs, one at a time; beat well after
each. Stir in nuts, vanilla extract and sifted dry ingredients. Spread in
well-greased 8-inch square pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes
(don't over-bake). Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Double Chocolate Brownies

2 eggs
1 c. sugar
2 squares unsweetened chocolte, melted
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
2./3 c. rice flour (or G/F mix)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
l/4 tsp. salt
l/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces (chips)
3/4 cup miniature marshmallows

This allergy recipe is just delicious. The brownies are very moist and
it is best to let them stand for a few hours before slicing.

Beat eggs until light, gradually beat in sugar. Stir in melted
chocolate, butter and vanilla. Sift rice flour with baking powder and
salt; add to chocolate mixure. Stir until blended. Stir in chocolate
pieces and marshmallows. Spread in a greased 8x8 inch pan. Bake at 350
degrees for 35 minutes or until done. Cool and cut into bars. Makes 18
brownes.


Ingredients:
2 eggs sift together: 1/4 c. cocoa
1c. sugar 1/2 c. rice flour or gf flour mix
1 tsp vanilla

Mix the sugar, butter, and vanilla, then add the sifted ingredients in a large
mixing bowl.
Add 1/2 c. pecans if desired. Bake in a slow oven (325 degrees F,) 20-30
minutes until top springs back when touched.

You can substitute applesauce for the butter 1 part to 1 part and they have
less calories and less calories from fat. These are chewy and have a
crumbly top to them. These could dry out pretty quick, especially if you
use applesauce.


1 c. margarine (2 sticks)
1/2 c. Nestle or Hershey's cocoa
1-1/2 c. GF flour mix
4 eggs, beaten together until well mixed
1 c. walnuts, chopped (optional)
2 c. sugar
2 t. vanilla

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Place margarine in 9x12 pan in oven to melt,
removing pan from oven when margarine is melted. In a large mixer bowl, mix
cocoa and sugar together thoroughly, then add flour and mix again. With
mixer on low speed, blend margarine, eggs and vanilla into flour mixture
until well blended. Do not overmix. Stir in nuts. Bake in oven on center
shelf for 30-35 minutes until set in center. Cook and cut.

Here's my chocolate chip frosting recipe:

1-1/2 c. sugar
6 T. margarine

6 T. milk
1/2 cup Hershey's or Nestle chocolate chips

Bring first three ingredients to rolling boil for 30 seconds. Remove from
heat and add 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Beat until thick enough to spread. If
you beat by hand, it may take 150 strokes. However, if you beat it too
much, you won't be able to spread it. Once you start spreading it, you
can't go back over it and you must spread it quickly. Believe me, this
frosting is well worth the effort! Note: For a 9x12 pan you could use half
this recipe. For two layer cake, use the whole recipe.


Killer Brownies (From the archives)

For one 9in x 13in pan's worth:

3/4 cup butter or margarine  (biff!)
3/4 cup cocoa powder   (pow!)
2 1/4 cup sugar   (zowie!)
4 eggs  (I haven't tried an egg subst., but it may work)
2 teaspoons vanilla     (you know, the safe kind)
1 1/3 cup GF flour      (used Bette H's mix plus Xanthan Gum)
1 cup chopped nuts      (if desired)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 deg. F
Grease (not oil) and lightly *cocoa* (instead of flour) 9"x13" pan. In
large sauce pan, melt margarine/butter with cocoa over low heat,
stirring constantly (actually, I just put the cocoa and butter in a
bowl, stick it in the microwave for a couple of minutes, 'til the
butter's melted, then stir with a fork 'til it's mostly smooth - don't
wear yourself out). Remove from heat and cool slightly.
Blend in sugar.
Beat in eggs, one at a time.
Stir in remaining ingredients.
Spread in prepared pan. (it should be pretty thick and sticky at this
point - the batter, not the pan!)

Bake at 325 deg. F and check after 20-25 minutes (I use a stoneware pan
and it takes about 10 minutes longer than in a metal pan). I consider
them done when whatever is stuck in the middle to check for doneness
(toothpick, butterknife, whatever's handy) comes up a bit moist, but not
with a great deal of chocolate adhering to it. I'm aiming for a slightly
gooey middle and somewhat cake-like edges. It's safe to say that they
will not be done before 20 minutes unless your oven really cooks on the
hot side.

These are guaranteed to keep the kids (and adults) buzzing until well
into the night, but it won't otherwise desturb their celiac insides.

I used approximately 1 teaspoon of Xanthan Gum, roughly estimating 1
teaspoon per cup of flour.

However, on page 17 of "More from the Gluten-Free Gourmet" by B. Hagman,
the following statement is made:  "...and add xanthan gum in a ratio of
a little less than 1 teaspoon to a cup of flour in breads, 1/2 teaspoon
to a cup of flour in cakes and muffins, and none in most cookies..."


These were my favorite brownies before I was diagnosed with CD. Here's my
gf adaptation of the recipe:

Gluten-Free Double Fudge Saucepan Brownies
2T butter
2T water
1/2 cup sugar

Mix the above in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until the
mixture starts to boil. Remove from heat. Add

6 oz (1 cup) gf semisweet chocolate chips

and stir until the chips are melted. Add

1 tsp gf vanilla (I've never tried the powder)
2 slightly beaten eggs

and mix well. Add

2/3 c gf flour mix (I use 2 parts sweet rice flour, 2 parts rice flour, and
1 part tapioca flour [all from an Oriental grocery])
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp xanthan gum

and mix well. Stir in 6 oz (1 cup) gf chocolate chips, mix well, and pour
into a greased 9" square pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350F. Do not
overbake! If you wait until a toothpick comes out clean or the edges pull
away from the side, they'll be too done. I usually take them out at about
20-22 minutes.

These brownies are VERY rich. You can substitute double chocolate chips for
the semisweet if you want your brownies to be even more decadent. These are
always a hit at parties. The brownies will be crumbly when warm, but
they're quite cohesive when they cool.


Simone
Hudson, NH