Crazy Brownies

July 15, 2015 0 0

CRAZY BROWNIES

I think these brownies are called crazy brownies because you wouldn’t expect them to contain the ingredients that they do. In my opinion not only are they deliciously tasty and chocolatey, but they are great for runners. They contain no flour, instead they are packed with protein as they contain kidney beans, tahini and nut butters. The dates and sweet potato add to the sweetness so I omitted the sugar as I felt it would be sweet enough with just the maple syrup. I also used cashew butter, as a suggested substitute, instead of coconut butter. They were a total hit. No hint of a kidney bean in there. They’d be great as a pre-run snack or a post run protein boost. They may even be useful for all you Endure 24 runners? I bet your friends and family can’t guess what is in them! They really are quick and easy to make. The time consuming thing is cooking the sweet potato, otherwise it’s just a case of sticking everything in a food processor so there is not even that much washing up which is always a bonus!

Makes 16 brownies

1/2 cup kidney beans
1/2 cup pitted dates
1/3 cup peeled, precooked, and cooled yellow or red potato (see note)
2 tablespoons tahini or nut butter (see note and nut-free option)
2 tablespoons coconut butter (see note)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons nondairy milk
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup coconut sugar
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder or 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons non-dairy chocolate chips (mini are nice)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8″ × 8″ brownie pan with parchment paper. Using a small or mini food processor, puree the beans, dates, potato, tahini, and coconut butter until smooth, and then add the maple syrup and milk and puree again. Add the cocoa powder, sugar, arrowroot, vanilla bean powder, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt to the processor and puree until combined. (If your processor is too small, transfer the date mixture to a bowl, and use a spatula to incorporate the dry ingredients.) Stir in the chocolate chips. Transfer the mixture to the brownie pan, and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake for 22–24 minutes (brownies will firm with cooling and are more fudgy with less baking, so don’t overbake). Remove, let cool completely, frost if desired, and cut into squares.

Potato Note: Potatoes add moisture and density when combined with the beans. If you don’t have cooked potato, substitute 1/4 cup of potato starch and increase the milk to 5 tablespoons.

Nut-Free Option/Tahini Note: I use a good-quality tahini, with a mellow, buttery flavour and smooth texture. If you don’t have nut allergies, try substituting macadamia or almond butter. Another 1 tablespoon of nondairy milk may be needed if the nut butter is quite thick/dense.

Coconut Butter Note: If you don’t have coconut butter, you can substitute another 1 1/2 tablespoons of nut butter like macadamia, almond, or cashew butter—or more tahini.