Maja Brekalo is the founder of the blog Delicious and Healthy by Maja. A passionate foodie, she teaches healthy vegan cooking and baking workshops. “My diet has been plant-based for years now. And today I emphasize the importance of eating unrefined, seasonal (as much as possible) and clean food,” she says. In her new cookbook, Bake It Vegan (Page Street, 2021), Maja shows readers how to make incredible vegan desserts without a miles-long shopping list or overcomplicated recipe—all you need are all-natural ingredients, her simple, straightforward instructions and a sweet tooth, and you’re ready to go! She lives in Zagreb, Croatia, with her family.
Maja Brekalo’s Fudgiest Bakery-Style Brownies
Cooking Tips:
1. When baking, always line the bottoms of your pans with parchment paper; it will prevent sticking and ease transferring your cakes. If you’re using a rectangular or loaf pan, leave some of the paper hanging out of the sides to ease the removal of cakes.
2. Sift all dry ingredients—this will make your baked goods fluffier and softer.
3. Do not overmix the batter! This is so important! Fold dry ingredients with wet ones until just combined; leaving a few flour pockets is fine. Overmixed batter means chewy and dense cake, pancakes, muffins and breads—it just spoils all of it.
