This is officially my first new recipe after a hiatus from 2012-2014. I may have mentioned this before, but I am huge fan of desserts. Sometimes when you go out to a restaurant they can taste like a pure sugar overload. However, when done right, a dessert ends up being my favorite part of the meal. One class I am taking this semester is a Food Service Systems Management course. For the lab portion of this course we make a variety of recipes which lets us sharpen our culinary skills and sample some terrific dishes. One dessert we made at the beginning of the semester were Bittersweet Bean Brownies. Some people may be put off by the fact this recipe contains black beans IN A BROWNIE. However, our professor told us before we made them that you cannot taste the black beans and will never know their in there. And you know what? She was right. There is absolutely no way you would know black beans are in these. Armed with the cart at the grocery store that squeaked with every step I took, I gathered the ingredients to recreate this recipe. These brownies are delicious, and also provide a variety of health benefits. Here is the recipe for Bittersweet Bean Brownies. (http://www.glutenfreemadison.org/Recipes/Cookies/Cookie0073.html)
Bittersweet Bean Brownies
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 C sugar
3 eggs
3 TBSP vegetable oil
1/4 C unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp instant coffee
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 C bittersweet (semi-sweet) chocolate chips
1/2 C chopped pecans or walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8 inch baking pan.
Using a food processor, blend together beans, sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, cocoa, vanilla extract, coffee, baking powder, and salt until batter is completely smooth. Using a spatula, fold in chocolate chips and nuts, and pour evenly into baking dish. bake for 30-35 minutes, until middle sets up and edges begin to pull away from sides of pan. Remove from oven and allow to completely cool before cutting into bars.
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with some whipped cream and cinnamon
The main thing I really liked about this recipe was how simple it was. All you did was process most of the ingredients together, and fold in peanuts and chocolate chips. The batter will be more of a liquid consistency then you may be used to, but the end product will turn out just fine. These brownies have a moist center once they are finished baking. The black beans in these brownies are a good source of fiber. Fiber helps aid in digestion and promotes satiety. Also, compared to other brownie recipes I have come across, these are much lower in sugar. When our bodies consume sugar, our blood glucose levels tend to rise very quickly and then drop. This leads "crashing" and feel fatigued. With these brownies containing a limited amount of sugar and lots of fiber, you will continue to have energy throughout the rest of your day. I hope some of you try to make these brownies. You won't even taste the black beans.
