I saw on something on Pinterest the other day - how someone had made brownies merely from a Betty Crocker mix and a can of black beans. A lover of unorthodox mixtures from way back, I was intrigued and managed to remember to include both of these items in my weekly grocery shop to give these blackbean brownies a go!
It's so simple it's not even a recipe! Take a box of brownie mix, and a can/vac pack of black beans in water. Drain and rinse the black beans, then put back in the can and fill the can with water. Put the water and beans in a food processor or blender until smooth, then mix together with the brownie mix. Bake according to the packet instructions, let them cool and then dig in!
I couldn't taste the beans at all - it's just a nice, fudgy, squidgy brownie. Just the way I like them! Tom said the chocolate flavour was "spot on"! High praise from a man whose favourite flavour is chocolate.
I would perhaps bake them a bit longer - the packet said 25 minutes and the skewer came out clean, so I took them out. But on reflection I'd probably give them another 5 or 10 minutes.
Let me know if you try them :)
Edited: If you undercook them slightly, like I did, put them in the fridge! They take on a very moreish fudge texture!
And also, black beans don't look like the easiest thing to find in Australia - see my reply in the comments for suggestions on where you might source them :)
LOVE the idea of this! Does that replace the eggs and milk then?
ReplyDeleteI have seen black bean brownies all over the net- I braved tofu brownies and they were lovely, but I have yet to pluck up the courage for bean ones. Might give it a go sometime :)
Hi Maria! Yes, you just add the pureed bean/water mix, no need for the egg, oil and water that the pack calls for. And it really works! :)
ReplyDeleteYou can also use a can of diet coke, works just as well.
ReplyDeleteReally? Cool! Thanks Running Fan :)
ReplyDeleteare these guys healthier then than normal brownies? I'm all up for trying to fox my other half. He loves chocolate brownies but I don't like the calories and fat!
ReplyDeleteGreat question Emmy!
ReplyDeleteWhen we say "healthier", as in not as much oil, etc, in them, then yes I suppose they are. Making the brownies out of the packet mix I used you would normally need to add water, oil and 1 egg. Using a can of pureed blackbeans dispenses the need for all that, and adds some nice fibre and protein in as well.
Having said that, I used a mix because I have such a small kitchen and the less mess the better! If you wanted to make proper blackbean brownies from scratch, then I'd recommend this recipe:
http://happyherbivore.com/recipe/vegan-blackbean-brownies/
All natural!
But I think it's ok to eat brownies made from chocolate and butter and eggs if you want to, in the context of a healthy diet where you enjoy a little of what you fancy every now and then. It's when we're having a brownie with every cup of tea that we run into problems :)
Hi Phillipa
ReplyDeleteDo you know if black beans have another name in Australia. I remember finding them in the UK when I lived there but haven't seeked them out here.
I live in Perth if anyone knows a good place to source them.
My boys love brownies and I am a big fan of the betty crocker ones as less mess is good mess - so would love a way to get a few more veggies into all of us.
ta
dani
Hi Dani
ReplyDeleteGood question, and I wondered after I posted this whether black beans were available in Oz or not...I didn't know off the top of my head because I'd never cooked with them when I lived there.
Having done a bit of online scrounging I can see that they are not the easiest thing to find in Oz! I am sorry :(
An online forum I looked at suggested that your best bet is to try local healthfood stores. You might only be able to get them dried though. Someone in Perth said they had seen canned black beans in smaller markets or in stores that predominantly carry WA produce.
You could also try getting them online? People on the forum recommended Fireworks Foods and MaryCarmen as good places to try.
Melbourne readers could try Wholefoods in Richmond and the Queen Vic markets. Sydney readers could try Mary Dias or Fireworks Foods on the North Rocks.
Hope this helps!!
Who would have thought you could use black beans? And I like the diet coke idea too. This is handy to know as I sometimes have packets of brownie mix, black beans and diet coke, but no eggs!
ReplyDelete