This year the pre-Christmas season seems to have whizzed by, I cannot believe there are only a few days left until Christmas. I have been busy working on building my new website, which will hopefully be ready early January. I never knew how much work it is but it’s fun and I am looking forward to presenting it to you soon. There also is a workshop in the making, so watch this space 🙂 .
Now, having spent more time in front of the computer, meant less time in the kitchen but thanks to Yvonne Looye from Natural Solutions Journey, I finally found myself in the kitchen again last Sunday. This month I started producing nutrition related social media content for her and her wonderful business. This is the first one of many more to come and I hope you like it. Please also feel free to pay her site a visit facebook https://www.facebook.com/naturalsolutionsjourney. Black bean brownie bites are the perfect Christmas day dessert or boxing day afternoon tea treat.
You might think, “black beans in a brownie, how is that going to work ?” I have to admit I was skeptical too at first but the first bite took away any doubts, they taste quite incredible, so light and so rich. I hope you will agree. Similar to black rice, black beans are naturally sweet, which is a bonus. Like other beans they are rich in fibre and protein, as well as a number of B vitamins including folic acid and minerals like iron, magnesium and potassium. The chocolate adds a bunch of antioxidants and of course the creamy richness. But lets get to the important stuff, how to make them:
Ingredients: (ideally organic)
Coconut oil for greasing the baking tray
1 x 400g can of black beans, drained
1/2 vanilla pod (scraped out )
4 medium sized eggs
60g soft coconut oil or 100g ghee
100g soaked dates
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
50g raw chocolate powder
80g 85% dark chocolate, chopped into small chunks
1 tsp of Christmas spice mix or 3 drops of doTERRA peppermint oil (optional)
1 pinch of sea salt
Christmas spice mix ( you can either get a X-mas spice mix in the supermarket or make your own)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 ground clove
1/2 tsp ground dried orange peel
1/2 tsp of ground dried lemon peel
1/2 tsp of ground ginger
1/4 tsp of ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp of ground cardamom
1/4 tsp of ground star anise
Method:
1. Pre- heat oven at 175C, lightly grease a 20 x 30cm brownie tin or line with baking parchment. Blitz the beans, dates, spice mix and vanilla, 1/2 tsp salt and 2 eggs with a stick blender until completely smooth.
2. Over a Bain Marie melt half of the chocolate at about 40 degrees; once melted, transfer to a bowl, add coconut oil or ghee and whisk until well combined, then add the raw cocoa powder remaining egg and bicarbonate soda and combine well. Lastly stir in the bean mix and fold the rest of the chocolate chunks under the mix.
3. Pour the mix into the greased brownie tin and bake for about 25-30minutes. Leave to cool, then cut into squares and dust with raw chocolate powder and a cinnamon and enjoy !
The brownies will keep in the fridge for a week, just make sure they are kept in an air tight container.
Happy Christmas Season!!
x