Black Bean Brownies

I've been wanting to try these forever and we finally made them for FHE tonight. My kids all gobbled them up- but they also barely know what a real brownie tastes like so that helps ;) We made chocolate frosting and topped them with strawberries to counteract the beans.

Black Bean Brownies

Servings: 9

Dense, fudge-y and ultra-healthy, these brownies are a great alternative to traditional brownies! It's amazing how they taste like chocolate and fudge and not beans! Chef's Notes: Rolled oats run through the food processor may substituted for the instant oats. Use optional sugar if your bananas are still green and not very ripe.

Ingredients

• 15 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 whole bananas
• ⅓ cup agave nectar
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ cup raw sugar (optional)
• ¼ cup instant oats

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8x8" pan and set aside. Combine all ingredients, except oats, in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth, scrapping sides as needed. Stir in the oats and pour batter into the pan. Bake approximately 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before slicing. Chef's Note: if you find these brownies are too soft or too fudge-y, add another 1/4 cup oats or flour.

I Want to Paint This

I love summer fruit and vegetables. It all tastes so much better in season. This was the last day of the B.C. Fruit stand in Cardston. Doesn't this picture make you want to paint? Pears are Timmy's favorite, and the grapes were Ezra size.

Soule mama Pumpkin Muffins

Wet Ingredients: 

1 cup pureed pumpkin

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

2 eggs

3/4 cup honey

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt 

Dry Ingredients:

1 cup unbleached flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp baking powder 

1/2 cup chopped walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 350.

Whisk together wet ingredients until smooth. Add dry ingredients until the mixture is combined. Fold in nuts. Spoon batter into greased muffin tins, and bake in the center of oven until they are puffy and beging to brown on the edges. (15 minutes or so for the mini-muffin tins, or that fun acorn muffin pan.)

Treaty Treat

We make these regularly. They are fantastic. Tim especially loves them. 

Itty Bitty Carrot Cake Cookies

These mini cookies are soft yet crunchy, delicate, moist, bite-sized, and most of all, they taste just like carrot cake in cookie form!

Ingredients:

• 2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup regular oats
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 cup shredded carrots, packed
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup pure maple syrup, room temperature (I used half agave)
• 1 cup coconut oil, warmed for about 25 seconds in microwave
• 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions: Preheat oven to 350F and line 1 baking sheet with parchment or a non-stick mat. Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and oats in a large bowl. Add in the nuts, coconut, raisins, and shredded carrots. In a small bowl mix the maple syrup, softened coconut oil, vanilla, and freshly grated ginger. Add this to the flour mixture and stir until combined.

Drop about 1 heaping tablespoon of dough onto lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Shape into a ball with hands. Bake for about 12 minutes and cool for 10 minutes on a baking rack.

Yield: 30 bite-sized cookies.

Nutritional info: (per cookie): 54kcals, 2 grams fat, 8 grams carbs, 1 gram fibre, 1 gram protein, 5 grams sugar.