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Black Bean Brownies

Black Bean Brownies

August 8, 2012 ·


Black Bean Brownies

Black beans and brownies…sounds crazy right?  Well, as many have discovered, using black beans in place of flour is a clever way to make brownies a bit healthier (and gluten free) without sacrificing a delicious chocolaty, rich-tasting dessert.  Black Bean Brownies have been on my list of things to make for years, and had I realized how easy they are to make, they would have been made a long time ago!  Essentially you just throw everything in a food processor (or blender), process for a minute, pour in pan and bake.

Then comes the true test…how are they?  Amazing!  Mike and I were both excited to try them and very pleasantly surprised how good they are (or were…the brownies are long gone!)  They have a deep chocolate flavor, a not quite cakey and not quite fudgy texture, and were some of the best brownies I’ve had in a long time!

Black Bean Brownies
 
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Yields: 16 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅔ cup brown sugar, packed
  • ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
  • Cooking spray (or additional oil)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray (or brush with oil) and set aside.
  2. Put black beans in a food processor and process until smooth.
  3. Add eggs, oil, cocoa, baking powder, vanilla and brown sugar, and process until completely blended. (Note: You may need to stop and scrape down the sides a couple times during this step).
  4. Add ¼ cup chocolate chips and pulse 5 times.
  5. Pour mixture in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle top with remaining chocolate chips.
  6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Put on a wire rack and let cool completely before serving.

Source:  Whole Living

Filed Under: dessert, Featured, gluten free, healthy, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , ,
st. patrick's day brownies made with irish cream and irish cream frosting

Frosted Irish Cream Brownies

March 9, 2012 ·
 Frosted Irish Cream Brownies get a double dose of Irish cream in both the brownie recipe and frosting, making this dessert festive for St. Patrick’s Day yet fun for any time! Frosted Irish Cream Brownies | alidaskitchen.com

With Saint Patrick’s Day just around the corner, I wanted to make you something a little festive. While brownies may not be considered traditional, I figure you can never go wrong with chocolate. Add a little Bailey’s Irish Cream, and these brownies become the perfect little treat to celebrate the holiday!

st. patrick's day brownies made with irish cream and irish cream frosting

This recipe combines elements from a couple “lighter” recipes. The result is a delicious, from-scratch brownie, made with Irish Cream, topped with an Irish Cream frosting. The amount of frosting yields just enough to cover the brownies, or to pipe a cute little swirl of frosting as I have pictured here.  A little bit goes a long way taste-wise, but if you’re a frosting fiend, you may want to double the recipe.
Frosted Irish Cream Brownies | alidaskitchen.com

Frosted Irish Cream Brownies
 
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Author:
Yields: 16 brownies
Ingredients
Brownies:
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅓ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup butter (I used light butter)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ egg substitute (or 4 large eggs)
  • ¼ cup Bailey's Irish Cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Cooking spray
Irish Cream Frosting:
  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • ¾ to 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Bailey's Irish Cream
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • skim milk, as needed
  • green and white sprinkles (for decorating, optional)
Instructions
  1. BROWNIES: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
  3. In a large microwavable bowl, add chocolate chips and butter. Microwave on high in 30-second increments until chocolate and butter melt. Let cool slightly and then add sugar, egg substitute, Irish Cream and vanilla extract, stirring well with a whisk. Microwave on high for 1 minute.
  4. Add flour mixture into butter mixture, folding gently until combined. Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean. (Note: The key to a fudgy brownie is to not overbake). Cool on a wire rack.
  5. FROSTING: In a small bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, Irish Cream and vanilla extract and beat until blended. Add milk by the teaspoonful, as needed, to achieve desired consistency. Spread, or pipe over, cooled brownies. Decorate with sprinkles, as desired.

Adapted from myrecipes.com and Eat Better America

st. patrick's day brownies made with irish cream and irish cream frosting

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mint cookies 'n cream brownies {Alida's Kitchen}

Mint Cookies ‘n Cream Brownies

December 14, 2011 ·
mint cookies 'n cream brownies {Alida's Kitchen}

Chocolate and mint are a classic combination this time of year, and fortunately these brownies couldn’t be any easier to make.  Besides how could you not love chunks of cookies in a brownie!  The cookies I used for these brownies were Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Joe Joe’s (which are amazing, by the way).   I assume mint Oreo’s, or whatever your favorite brand, would work just great.   The cookies make these brownies so dangerously delicious, they will be a welcome addition to any holiday treat plate!

Mint Cookies ‘n Cream Brownies
 
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Yields: 36 brownies
Ingredients
  • BROWNIE:
  • ½ cup light butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1½ cups chocolate syrup
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 12 mint cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, quartered
  • Cooking spray
  • MINT CREAM:
  • ½ cup light butter, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons skim milk
  • ½ teaspoon mint extract
  • 3 mint cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, well-crushed
  • additional chopped cookies for topping, as desired
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13x9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in chocolate syrup until well blended.
  3. Fold in flour, mixing just until blended. Fold in chopped cookies.
  4. Pour mixture into prepared baking pan. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack.
  5. Once cooled, frost with Mint Cream (recipe below) and cut into squares.
  6. In a medium bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add mint extract and then gradually add milk, beating until desired consistency is achieved. Mix in crushed cookies.
  7. Spread over cooled brownies and top with additional chopped cookies, as desired.
Adapted from Taste of Home
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Ooey-Gooey Peanut Butter Brownies

December 1, 2011 ·

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program with Duncan Hines, I was a lucky recipient of several coupons for free Duncan Hines products. Even better…they gave me extra coupons to share with you!  I promise the entry details will be very easy, but more about that in a little bit. First, let me tell you about these brownies!

The first time I made these brownies was over 5 years ago for a party.   I had to whip something together quickly and fortunately remembered seeing this recipe using a cake mix.  Chocolate brownies, marshmallow and peanut butter – bound to be a hit, and using a cake mix ought to speed thing along, right?  So I gathered the ingredients and got to work.  The convenience of using the cake mix was very useful, and the result….these bars were fab-u-lous!  The best part of the night – I caught someone tucking a couple bars in a napkin and placing them in her purse 🙂   I took that as quite the compliment! 
Not that I needed any convincing before, but these bars sealed the deal. Always keep a box of cake mix in the pantry.  Which leads me to the coupons for a free Duncan Hines product for you.   I have a coupon for 8 of you, so you can make these brownies, stock your pantry or do whatever delicious idea tickles your fancy.  
The rules are simple – if you want a coupon, send me an e-mail with your mailing address (U.S. mailing addresses only), and I will send you a coupon.  That’s it.  The first 8 e-mails I receive with a U.S. mailing address will get a coupon.  Once the coupons are gone, I will update this post noting the offer has expired.  So go!  E-mail me at alidaskitchen@gmail.com with your mailing address and get baking!   ~ The coupon offer has now expired.

Ooey-Gooey Peanut Butter Brownies
Yields 24 servings
3/4 cup fat free sweetened condensed milk, divided
1/4 cup light butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup skim milk
1 (18.25 ounce) package Duncan Hines devil’s food cake mix
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme
3/4 cup peanut butter morsels
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, combine 1/4 cup condensed milk, butter, milk, cake mix, and egg white. 
  3. Spray 13 x 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.  Press two-thirds of batter into pan; pat evenly (layer will be thin).  Bake for 10 minutes.
  4. In the meantime, in a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup condensed milk and marshmallow creme.  Stir in peanut butter chips.
  5. Spread marshmallow mixture evenly over brownie layer.  Drop remaining batter by spoonfuls over marshmallow mixture. 
  6. Bake for 30 minutes.  Cook completely in pan on wire rack. 

Adapted from Cooking Light

Disclaimer: As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program, I received a coupon for a free Duncan Hines product (up to $3.99 value) for free.  I also received 8 coupons to share with you.  The details of my experience are exclusively my opinion, and I was not otherwise influenced or compensated.

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Brown Sugar Brownies

September 26, 2011 ·

Back in college, I had a recipe for Brown Sugar Brownies.  They were honestly the best brownies I’ve ever had (aside from my grandmother’s of course). I still remember them, but that was ages ago, and sadly my dear recipe is long gone.  Fast forward to a few weeks ago, I was in the middle of baking and ran out of brown sugar.  Mike went on an emergency brown sugar run for me.  When he set the bag down on the counter, it happened to be recipe-side up (hmm…do you think that was intentional?).  What did I see?  Brown Sugar Brownies!

Quick and easy to prepare, this recipe makes a delicious brownie that is more fudgy than cakey.  In fact, they are light and airy and almost melt in your mouth.  Now, I used dark chocolate that I received from the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program with Ghiardelli.  This would be delicious using unsweetened per the original recipe, but I was pleasantly susprised at the results with what I used.  I also used light butter, which has half the fat and calories of regular butter.  I like using light butter when I can, because if it works why not, right? 

Now for the best part.  If I told you these brownies were under 115 calories each, would you believe it?  I hardly believed it myself!  I did the calculation a few days after making them (and after I had already eaten a few bars).  I was eating half a brownie each time because I expected they would come in a lot higher.   I did the calculation once, checked it again.  It’s true.  These babies clock in around 112!

Brown Sugar Brownies
Yields 16 brownies

1/2 cup (1 stick) light butter, melted and cooled
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 ounces unsweetened OR dark chocolate (such as Ghirardelli Twilight Delight), melted, cooled slightly
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
powdered sugar (optional)

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until combined.
  3. Beat in eggs, adding one at at time. 
  4. Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla.
  5. Gently fold in flour, until combined.
  6. Pour mixture into pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool completely.  Cut into squares, and sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

Adapted from back of sugar bag (recipe found here here)

Disclaimer: While this is not my formal write up of my experience with Ghirardelli chocolate, I feel obligated to disclose the following:  “As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program, I was provided with Ghirardelli chocolate for free.  The details of my experience are exclusively my opinion, and I was not otherwise influenced or compensated.”  I will be sharing a full write up of my experience later this week. 

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