Nutri Natters

Rita’s blog for lovers of real food

Dark Chocolate, Almond and Beetroot Brownies

1st February 2019

A brownie should be dark, rich, delicious and full of good things. I’ve tried many recipes and these crumbly, meltingly- good baked morsels are the best yet.  Well, that’s my opinion, see what you think.

If like many people you are cutting down on sugar, you’ll be pleased to hear that this recipe uses dates to supply natural sweetness (not to mention the fibre and minerals they provide). Nuts supply a bit of crunch and a good measure of protein to help to balance blood sugar.  You could also add maca powder reputed to boost energy  and stamina (available from health food shops and some supermarkets).

This recipe makes 12-15 smallish but filling brownies.

Another choc-beet treat is my gluten-free chocolate and beetroot cake with a ganache topping. It’s a luxurious cake well- worth the extra effort in the kitchen when there’s a celebration in the offing.

brownie cropped

Dark chocolate, nuts and beetroot: brownie heaven

 

Ingredients
60 gr butter or coconut oil
250 gr dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids) broken into pieces
3 large  eggs
1 cooked beetroot weighing approximately 150 gr, peeled and chopped
4-6 pitted dates (depending on how sweet you like your brownies) or 1 tablespoon of molasses
100 gr ground almonds with 1 teaspoon of baking powder (gluten-free)
60 gr chopped walnuts or pecans
30 gr flaked almonds
1 tablespoon of maca powder (optional)

What to do
Set the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Line a 20 x 30 cm baking tin with baking parchment and brush lightly with oil.
Put the butter (or coconut oil) and chocolate into a small basin and place over a pan of water; the water should come about halfway up the side of the bowl. Bring the water to the boil then lower the heat to simmering until the chocolate and butter have melted.
Blend or process the beetroot, dates (or molasses), eggs,  cinnamon and maca (if using) until smooth.
Combine the chocolate and beetroot mixtures in a large mixing bowl. Add the ground almonds, baking powder and chopped walnuts (or pecans). Mix everything together for a few minutes until you have a dark, gloopy batter.
Pour the batter into the tin and smooth over the top with the back of a spoon.  Scatter over the flaked almonds. Bake for 25 -30 minutes until firm to the touch.  If you want to double-check that it’s cooked, a skewer inserted into the cake should come out clean.
Place the tin on a wire rack and leave to cool.  Cut the cake into bars and store in an airtight tin. They’ll keep for 3 days in the fridge or you can freeze for use at a later date.

Rita

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