Friday, September 10, 2010

Well that was different

Last night we had a friend, The Alpha, over for dinner. He's stuck in town waiting for his and his wife's house to sell. She's already relocated to Arkansas with their furbabies, so a few of us from church are making sure he has a decent meal every once in a while. (I'm not being sexist, I'm sure he's a fine cook, he just has to keep the house spotless and can't mess up the kitchen.) Company for dinner tends to equal DESSERT for me. Those bake and serve brownies are fantastic. Fattening, but fantastic.

So today I thought I'd try baking black bean brownies. I'd heard of them, but never tried them. Here goes.


1 15 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained
3 eggs
3 T vegetable oil
1/4 c. cocoa powder
1 pinch salt
1/2 t backing powder
1 t vanilla
3/4 c sugar (I used Splenda)
1 t instant coffee

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 8x8 baking pan

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Pour mixture into the prepared baking pan and bake for 30 minutes.


The verdict: I'm not sure. Maybe I was too heavy handed on the coffee crystals, maybe it's because I used Splenda instead of sugar and they have that Splenda aftertaste. Maybe it's because I wanted something more like the brownies I had last night. They were easy to make, out of things I have in my pantry, and they're full of fiber. Other versions of the recipe have you using lots of butter and melting unsweetened chocolate. Maybe I'll give them a try. I wanted something really good to bring to the church auction next weekend that a friend, who's both celiac and can't eat anything with casein in it, could enjoy. Maybe she'd like these. I guess I'll have to bring her some on Sunday and find out!


4 comments:

  1. I have made black bean brownies before. I used egg beaters in place of eggs and applesauce in place of oil. But I used good ole sugar with it. It does taste a bit different than your normal fudge brownie, but just to eat at home its good... better with a scoop of sugar free ice cream! I brought my brownies to a church funtion also, but I dressed them up with a thin layer of cream cheese frosting. They were a big hit!

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  2. I've heard of these but I am not sure I am ready to brave them! 3 cheers for trying!

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  3. I keep wanting to try making these, and I keep putting it off. Yours look good! I'll definitely keep that in mind about the Splenda and try to use sugar if I ever make them.

    I love your blog!

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  4. The recipe that I use for Black bean brownies is a can of beans and a box of brownie mix. I puree the beans and combine it with the mix. I bake according to the time referenced on the box. These brownies are very moist and as you say full of fiber. The only problem is that I tend to get a bit gasey from the beans.

    I think I will attempt your version with a few alterations. I will substitute applesauce for the oil and I will use real sugar. I'll let you know how it goes.

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