Black Bean Brownies

I’ve been studying recipes for cooking with legumes. When I was still working, one of the floor had a bake sale and included gluten free peanut butter cookies. They were fantastic. After searching I learning I could make garbanzo bean flour. Later, I found a site for purchasing it. Much of the public is being duped with gluten free labels. Some foods are naturally gluten free, so there is no need to pay extra for the label.

When my grand-daughter, now -daughters, visit we find lots of ways to be creative. I hope she learns that we can make the things we want for what we have on hand, rather than racing to the store for every desire that arises.

So, without further ado, Flourless, Gluten free, Black Bean Brownies

Yummy Fudgy Tasty Healthy Delights

1 can of black beans (15 oz, drained and rinsed)

¼ cup butter

½ cup raw turbinado sugar

8 prunes soaked in ¼ cup water, pureed

¼ cup cocoa

2 eggs

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup chocolate chips or other add-ins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil, grease, or spray an 8 x 8 inch pan, and set aside. If you have a food process combine all ingredients except the chips. Remove the blade and stir in chips. Pour batter in the pan and bake for 35 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and allow to cool before cutting.

Since I don’t have a food processor, I use my Magic Bullet. The beans went into the 22 ounce cup with one egg and the prunes to be pureed in the smaller cup. Mixing and pouring the ingredients into a bowl worked easily and quickly.

While waiting for the brownies to cook we enjoy Prune Juice Cocktails

Prune Juice Cocktails

A tall glass filled with ice

½ cup of Prune juice

½ cup water. Sparkling to be even more fancy

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

Stir and serve with a cocktail straw. Yum!

Finger licking good!

Add-ins

My daughter has returned to work and the girls and I hung out today. The plan was to bake cake, cookies and stepping stones. We finished with cupcakes and a cake.

I love chocolate! Love it! To make up for my affection, I use healthy add-ins. We were too busy for step by step pictures so imagine...

One cup of baked sweet potato. One egg. Four ounces of dairy - yogurt, sour cream, half and half. Whatever you have on hand. Some cinnamon and allspice. Sprinkle of cayenne. (That's a secret. Shh! No telling.) Mix until smooth. Add half the package of a boxed cake mix. If the batter is way too thick, add a bit of water - half a cup to start.

Add in chocolate chips, walnuts, coconut, chia seeds, dried fruit or anything else you love and that will turn this into a healthy delicacy.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or so depending on pan size or cupcakes, which take less time - 12 - 18 minutes. Frost if you like or enjoy warm from the pan. It's food!

As a child my mother used to add mashed potatoes to her homemade chocolate cakes. Long before there was pudding in the mix we had moist dense desserts. I have also read black bean chocolate cake recipes. Fall is coming. What a wonderful addition to the specialty choices.

YUM!