Posted by Teresa in : Dessert ,
This recipe is from one of my favourite sites, 101Cookbooks! 
Click here. They are a bit of work, but SO WORTH IT!
Amazing Black Bean Brownie Recipe
For those of you who have a hard time tracking down agave nectar (which is becoming much more readily available) substitute honey 1:1 for the agave nectar. Ania’s head notes encourage you to keep these brownies in the refrigerator, they will slice much better if refrigerated several hours or preferably overnight. I used instant coffee this time around, but you can find natural coffee substitute at many natural food stores.
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 ( I used honey… and wow, that’s a lot!)
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.
Reprinted with permission from Baking With Agave Nectar: Over 100 Recipes Using Nature’s Ultimate Sweetener by Ania Catalano. (Ten Speed Press 2008)
Posted by Teresa in : Dessert ,
I’ve been selling cookies on Wednesdays at the airport, and I was looking for something really cool to try. Lo and behold, I came across this recipe! Wowzers. It’s sweet, but good… I substituted apricots for peaches (no peaches in my grocery stores) and cashews for walnuts (’cause I’m a sucker for cashews and not a fan of walnuts). The recipe comes from Sunny Anderson, host of “Cooking for Real,” another Food Network show. She’s cool because she’s not a size zero (which is a good sign in chefs, I hear) and she’s very casual and fun! But I only watched her show once… but look at the recipe I got!
Cooking time: 12 min Level: easy Yield: 20 cookies
Ingredients
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3/4 cup all-purpose flour
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1/2 tsp baking soda
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Pinch salt
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1/2 cup butter, softened
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1/4 cup light brown sugar
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1/4 cup dark brown sugar
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1/4 cup sugar
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1 large egg
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1 1/2 cups rolled oats
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1/2 cup chopped dried peaches
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1/2 cup chopped walnuts
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1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Slowly add egg and continue mixing. Slowly add flour mixture, oats, peaches, walnuts, and white chocolate chips. Mix until combined.
Line 2 sheet trays with parchment. With wet hands make 20 balls from the dough placing evenly among sheet trays. Press down on cookie dough with palm of your hand to make a flat circle.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden and still a bit tender in the center. Remove from oven and let sit on sheet trays 1 minute. Remove to cooling racks to cool completely.
Of course, I don’t have a fancy mixer; my arm worked just fine.
