BLACK BEAN BROWNIES

I have been on a kick lately to use up our dried beans in our pantry. I seem to have a bag for every kind of bean or legume that exists! So it seems.

So in the process of doing this, I was looking for some recipes to use black beans. I came across a recipe from one of my favorite food blogs 101 Cookbooks. I received her book Super Natural Cooking for Christmas and have fallen in love with it. I have been going through lots of her recipes using whole grains and legumes! They have been delicious and healthy!

The Amazing Black Bean Brownies were not only fun to make, but easy using simple ingredients. I liked that it does not use flour -- but, I suppose if you wanted a more cake like brownie that you could add oats or flour to it. I, however, liked them as is.

When I made the recipe, I used semi-sweet chocolate instead of the unsweetened because it was all I had and it worked. I like serving these brownies with a raspberry sauce on top, with whipped cream, or just by themselves. Delicious!


AMAZING BLACK BEAN BROWNIES
original recipe from by Ania Catalano

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups soft-cooked black beans, drained well (hs: canned is fine)
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ cup (granulated) natural coffee substitute (or instant coffee, for gluten-sensitive)
¼ teaspoon sea salt
4 large eggs
1½ cups light agave nectar

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 11- by 18-inch (rimmed) baking pan (hs note: or jellyroll pan) with parchment paper and lightly oil with canola oil spray.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl in the microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on high. Stir with a spoon to melt the chocolate completely. Place the beans, 1/2 cup of the walnuts, the vanilla extract, and a couple of spoonfuls of the melted chocolate mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Blend about 2 minutes, or until smooth. The batter should be thick and the beans smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the remaining 1/2 cup walnuts, remaining melted chocolate mixture, coffee substitute, and salt. Mix well and set aside.

In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer beat the eggs until light and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the agave nectar and beat well. Set aside.

Add the bean/chocolate mixture to the coffee/chocolate mixture. Stir until blended well.

Add the egg mixture, reserving about 1/2 cup. Mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1/2 cup egg mixture until light and fluffy. Drizzle over the brownie batter. Use a wooden toothpick to pull the egg mixture through the batter, creating a marbled effect. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the brownies are set. Let cool in the pan completely before cutting into squares. (They will be soft until refrigerated.)

Makes 45 (2-inch) brownies.