black bean brownies

07 Monday Apr 2014

Posted by Delena Rose in cakes and brownies, cook, gluten-free, sweets, wheat-free

Tags

adzuki beans, black bean brownies, black beans, brownies

These are everything a brownie should be: moist, ‘fudgy’ and full of flavor! There is no flour in this recipe, which makes them both wheat-free and gluten-free and you can’t even taste the beans as they hide in among the chocolate chips. I’ve used both black beans and adzuki beans, which I soak over night and then cook up in a slow cooker here at home. My young friends gobble these up and I have to admit, these don’t last long here at our home!

Black Bean Brownies

2 cups black beans or adzuki beans (canned or freshly cooked at home)

2 eggs

3 tablespoons canola oil

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup raw cane sugar (or natural sweetener of your choice)

1 teaspoon instant coffee

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use 1 cup to make this extra ‘chocolate-y’)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Blend all ingredients, except the chocolate chips, together in a mixer or blender. Stir on the chocolate chips. Transfer to a greased 8 x 8 baking pan (I also line it with parchment paper). Bake for 30 minutes and allow brownies to cool before serving. Enjoy!

peppermint brownies

18 Wednesday Sep 2013

Posted by Delena Rose in cook, sweets

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Tags

brownies, mint, peppermint, peppermint brownies

I found this recipe in August, 1997, in the cooking magazine Bon Appetit and have been baking these ever since. You can now find it on the Epicurean website. As I love mint chocolate I just had to try these. Use the best quality chocolate you can find- these are well worth the effort!

Peppermint Brownies

For the brownies

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans

For toppings

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon whole milk

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

preparation

Make brownies:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan. Stir butter and chocolate in small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Set aside. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add chocolate mixture, flour, peppermint and vanilla extracts and salt; stir until just blended. Mix in nuts.

Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. Cool slightly.

Make toppings:

Beat powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, milk and extract in bowl until creamy. Spread over warm brownies. Chill until set, about 1 hour.

Stir chocolate and 2 tablespoons butter in small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Cool slightly. Pour over mint topping, spreading evenly. Cover and chill until set, about 1 hour. Cut into 20 squares. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover with foil; store at room temperature.)

brownies made with coconut flour (wheat-free, gluten-free)

21 Sunday Apr 2013

Posted by Delena Rose in cook

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Tags

brownies, coconut flour, gluten-free brownies, wheat-free brownies

In my recent experimentation in cooking with other grains and baking with other flours besides the standard wheat, I have discovered coconut flour. Nowadays you can find coconut flour in most grocery stores as well as in your local health food store. I have only used it once before in a gluten-free scone recipe, which turned out deliciously crispy -almost like a Scottish shortbread but with an added hint of coconut in the flavor.

Just this afternoon, I was about to transfer the rest of this flour into a glass jar for storage when I noticed that there was a brownie recipe on the back of the packaging. Never one to walk away from yet another opportunity to enjoy some chocolate, I whipped up a batch and was very satisfied with the results. Although the coconut flavor is barely discernible (over-powered by the chocolate), the brownie itself has a lovely consistency and is thick and fudge-y. If you’re getting off the wheat or just looking for a fun way to bake with a new ingredient, I highly recommend trying this recipe!

Wheat Free Brownies

1/3 cup butter (or non-dairy alternative)

1/2 cup cocoa powder

6 eggs (or equivalent)

1 cup sugar (I use raw cane sugar)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup organic coconut flour, sifted

1 cup chocolate chips (use the highest quality you can find)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). In a medium saucepan over low heat, blend butter and cocoa powder. Remove from heat and let cool. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Blend this into the cocoa mixture. Stir in the coconut flour until the batter is no longer lumpy. Add the chocolate chips if desired. (I also added 1/2 cup pecans.) Bake in a pre-greased 8×8 baking pan for about 30-35 minutes. Enjoy!