Recipe: Amish Lard Brownies

I slightly modified this fantastic Amish recipe that I came across years ago. It is the only brownie recipe I make now.

Please don't let the name put you off, the taste of lard is undetectable, and, when it comes from hogs like ours, who spend their days in the sunshine and fresh air, the lard becomes an excellent source of vitamin D. American guinea hogs are a traditional homestead lard hog, so we naturally have a plentiful supply of home-rendered lard to use in recipes like this. Lard is a great, mild tasting fat that is perfect in baked goods. If you do not have your own lard hogs or are unable to obtain lard from pastured pigs, feel free to substitute the lard with grass fed butter.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup lard from pastured hogs
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs from pastured hens
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour (I use organic bread flour but all-purpose will work too)
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder (see notes)
1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 x 13 dish with lard or butter and lightly flour it.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the lard and sugar for 1-2 minutes.
Beat in the eggs and the vanilla until combined.
Add the dry ingredients and mix until a batter is formed.
Resist the urge to stand over the bowl and eat the raw brownie batter by the spoonful... or don't, and use a slightly smaller pan! 
Bake for 25 minutes, or until the brownies are done and the edges easily pull apart from the sides of the pan.
Cool on a rack and enjoy warm or at room temperature with a scoop of homemade goat milk ice cream.

Notes:
In order to avoid unwanted additives like aluminum I have made my own baking powder for years. It is quite simple to do: 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp cream of tartar will equal 1 tsp baking powder. ​

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