Bean There, Done That: Gluten-Free Brownies
February 1, 2008
DIET, DESSERT AND DOGS HAS MOVED!
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“Mum, we are coming with you, aren’t we? Because (and sorry to have to tell you this), we actually have more fans on this blog than you do.”
Years ago, when I taught a course called “Feeding Body and Soul,” students were asked to contribute a recipe that had been handed down in their family as a way to illustrate the power of food through the generations. One young woman (who, in her words, had been “raised by hippies”) gave me a recipe for Navy Bean Muffins, made from the usual ingredients but using pureed navy beans instead of flour. I thought this twist was just groovy, man, and resolved to some day make them myself.
Well, that day hasn’t yet arrived, but I did think of beans as the perfect addition to my GF brownies, about which I posted last Monday. This recipe for Gluten-Free Brownies is one of three for chocolate treats with hidden healthy ingredients, just up today on VegFamily magazine. To see the other two as well, check out the entire article.
The hidden gem in these rich, chocolately squares is pureed beans. Now, before you go running to the hills, consider that many gluten-free recipes contain bean flours (such as chickpea, gram, soybean, etc.), so this recipe just takes the concept a step back, to the unprocessed, whole beans before they’re dried and pulverized. And beans add a great boost of protein to any recipe, along with both soluble and insoluble fiber, and a host of minerals.
Initially, I thought that pureeing the beans in a food processor would be sufficient, but found the final product a bit grainy that way. But cooking the beans really well, then pureeing in a blender, did seem to do the trick.
Because of the added loveliness of the legumes, I’m going to submit this recipe to My Legume Love Affair, hosted by The Well-Seasoned Cook.
Oh, and Sally, this one’s for you! 🙂
Gluten-Free Chocolate-Walnut Brownies
FOR THE RECIPE, PLEASE VISIT THE NEW DIET, DESSERT AND DOGS BY CLICKING HERE.