Because I cracked the Black Bean Brownie Code

Friends, lovely cake loving friends, I have news. Okay, so I already spilled the proverbial and literal beans in the title of this recipe, but I've never been one to keep good news to myself. Friends, it's true. I have cracked the black bean brownie code, and it is more beautiful than you could have imagined.

Picture this:

a brownie.

Yep.

That kind of moist and a little dense and fudgey brownie that makes you do a little dance and say oh yes oh god oh yes oh thank god. You know the kind. Of course you should know better than to talk with your mouth full but you will for realsies be forgiven because this is that good.

I've seen black bean brownie recipes kicking around here and there and they looked unappealing. I have to confess that one of my favourite baking flours for a little while was chickpea flour. So versatile.

My secret in these brownies: I don't use a can of black beans. I use black bean flour.

Nothing to puree. Nothing to blend. Just measure, mix, and go. Simple. And the texture is not gummy or dense. It's perfection. So there you have it.

A nut-free, vegan, gluten-free, perfect brownie that tastes just right.

OH, one small quirk: it taste better the next day. So, bake it, cool it, and refrigerate it over night. Then: eat. So. Good.

equipment needed:

mixing bowl
mixing spoon
measuring cups
measuring spoons
square baking dish (I used silicone but glass is good too -- just make sure you grease it well with coconut oil and maybe line the bottom with parchment)
a grinder for the chia seeds if you buy whole and grind them yourself (or buy ground chia)
oven (obvi)


ingredients:

a)
1 cup black bean flour
1 1/4 cup coconut sugar   (or as an alt: 1 cup xylitol + 1/4 cup coconut sugar +1/4 cup date sugar)
1/2 cup date sugar
1/2 cup raw cacao

b)
1/4 cup ground chia seed
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground vanilla bean

c)
 1 cup warm water + 2 tbsp coconut oil
1 cup cold water (total water is 2 cups)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

d)
1 cup chocolate chips -- fair trade, please

e)
plus either 2 tbsp chocolate chips or 2 tbsp coconut sugar to sprinkle on top



directions:

preheat oven to 345 and prepare your baking pan!!

1. combine 1 cup warm water and 2 tbsp coconut oil and let it melt
2. in a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients from parts a) and b) and stir until completely homogeneous.
3. in a small mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients from part c)
4. combine all of the above, and mix well
5. once the ingredients from a) b) and c) have been righteously integrated, stir in your chocolate chips (part d)
6. pour the batter into the baking pan, and make sure it's smooth and even
7. sprinkle the top of the batter with either the chocolate chips or the coconut sugar from part e)
8. bake at 345 for 40-45 minutes
9. Cool and then enjoy the NEXT DAY

seriously.

my husband eats them right away, and says they are great, but even he agrees they are BETTER the next day.


MAKE AHEAD MAKE AHEAD MAKE AHEAD

this is not a recipe for immediate gratification.

Very Vanilla Freezer Cookies Cookies -- an alternative sweetner -- a gluten free, low gi treat

I wanted to make some good old sugar cookies. These have good stuff in them and taste good too. These were easy and simple because after I whipped up the cookie dough, I rolled it into 2 logs, wrapped it tightly in parchment (and reshaped it), and put it in the freezer until it was solid. I then sliced it (about 1/2 cm thick) and baked the slices. Really yummy cookies. Yes, I'm a little obsessed with sesame seeds right now.

ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut oil
2 tbsp organic vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 cup xylitol
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1 tbsp ground vanilla
1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup ground sesame seeds
1/2 cup flax meal
1 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 cup almond flour
2 tbsp coconut flour


directions:

1. combine the ingredients and roll the dough into 2 logs
2. wrap the dough tightly in parchment and put in the freezer
3. when the dough is frozen, slice
4. place slices on a baking sheet, and bake from frozen for 14 minutes

simple cookies -- but gluten free, grain free, dairy free, sugar free, you know the drill

These are simple cookies. The kind you eat with tea. My son ate 8 of them. Oops.

ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut oil (organic smooth)

3/4 cup coconut sugar

1/2 cup water

2 eggs

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 tsp ground vanilla

2 tsp ceylon cinnamon

1  tsp sea salt

1/4 cup ground chia

4 cups almond flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

xylitol for sprinkling on top

directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. combine the warm water, coconut sugar, and coconut oil

2. mix in the eggs and apple cider vinegar

3. add the vanilla, cinnamon, and sea salt

4. mix in the chia

5. add the baking soda and almond flour, and mix well

6a. scoop by spoonful onto a lined baking sheet, and flatten with a wet fork

6b. sprinkle the tops with a little xylitol if desired then whisper kind words to your three year old

7. bake at 345 for 20 to 25 minutes

8. store in an airtight container when fully cool

makes 2 trays of cookies

As far as I'm concerned, these cannot hold a candle to the peanut butter cookies. But, in my mind, nothing much does. :) My husband thinks they are great with a cup of tea, and is delighted by the fact they are still soft after a week.

Knock your socks off Lemon Cakes -- Nut free, Dairy free, Cane Sugar free

I needed something that had no nuts in it, because sometimes people walk into my nut-filled world of cooking who are nut intolerant, sensitive, or allergic. I decided to harness the power of lemon for these little cakes. The tricky thing about lemon is to manage to layer the flavours, so that the bright notes of lemony and sweet balance each other, and are also supported by an infrastructure of flavours so that the over all taste isn't just one note, but is a fully rounded flavour that harmonizes with and celebrates the lemon, showing it off, bringing out the best in it, and making it fully structured enough to stand fully on its own. That is how my brain works when it comes to cooking. You probably wish I hadn't just given you that little insight.

Anyway, here is my recipe for intensely lemony Lemon Cakes.

ingredients:

3/4 cups freshly squeeze organic lemon juice
1 1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup coconut nectar
2 organic eggs, xl
2 tbsp xylitol (optional)

1/2 tsp ground vanilla
1/2 tsp ceylon cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cup kamut pastry flour

2 tbsp zest of organic lemons

extra zest and coconut sugar for sprinkling on top


directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. zest your lemons
2. squeeze enough lemons to get approx 3/4 cup lemon juice
3. add enough hot water to the lemon juice to get 2 cups of liquid
4. add the coconut oil and let it melt
5. add the coconut nectar, coconut sugar, and xylitol
6. add the cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, and sea salt
7. add the baking soda
8. add the kamut flour
9. pour the batter into prepared muffin cups
10. top the cakes with a sprinkling of lemon zest and coconut sugar
11. bake at 345 for 30 minutes

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream -- Sugar Free and Sublime

My ice-cream maker hard at work. Perhaps Saturn would be a good name for it.

The finished product (finished in terms of made, and half way to being finished in terms of eaten.)

I got some lovely milk and lovely cream from a farmer, and decided to make some lovely ice cream with it. My husband, as I mentioned, didn't get into the chocolate avocado ice cream at all. I thought ice cream made with milk and cream would be right up his alley. I wanted to use an alternative sweetener instead of cane sugar, and chose coconut nectar. Next time, I will try it with agave. The coconut nectar gives it a complex rich sweetness reminiscent of chocolate and maple syrup to my husband, and he thought this ice cream was really good. The coconut nectar taste is mellow and  fruity to me, so I thought the more intense and sharp sweetness of the agave would let the vanilla shine more brightly next time. Over all, some very nice ice cream that won't spike your blood sugar, and has all the good old fashioned melty deliciousness of good old fashioned ice cream -- and no chemical after taste (my main criticism of the ice cream we can buy in the store).

ingredients:

1 cup cream

1 1/2 cups whole milk

3/8 tsp sea salt

6 tbsp coconut nectar (or 4 tbsp clear agave)

2 tbsp xylitol (a low glycemic sweetener that occurs in birch trees among other things)

1 1/2 tsp ground vanilla bean (or 1 extra tbsp vanilla extract)

1 tbsp vanilla extract

directions:

1. combine all the ingredients

2. pour chilled concoction into your ice cream maker  and freeze according to the manufacturers instructions

3. volume will increase as it freezes, and will result in almost a liter when finished.

4. Enjoy as is, or top with a little chocolate sauce (that will have to be my next recipe, I think)

It's really enjoyable to eat ice cream that contains no texturizers, no thickeners, no artificial flavours, and no colouring agents. Once you get used to doing without it, you won't miss that chemical after taste at all ;).

YUM.

Not Chocolate Ice Cream

I thought it would be fun to make some chocolate ice cream using alternative ingredients. Mine involved some avocados, some coconut nectar, a few dates, some vanilla and cinnamon, and a vast quantity of raw cacao powder. The result: very creamy and very delicious. To me and my son, at least. We both love it. It was eaten with enjoyment by some others, but my husband dislikes it, possibly because he dislikes avocado in anything but sushi. If you like avocado, this might be as yummy to you as it is to me and my little one.

ingredients:

2 large ripe avocados

12 pitted honey dates

6 tbsp raw cacao

1/2 tbsp acai powder

1/2 tbsp maca powder

1/2 - 3/4 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 tsp ground vanilla (or 1 tbsp vanilla extract)

1/4 cup coconut nectar

2 tbsp xylitol

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 cup water

directions:

1. puree the ingredients with a hand blender until well mixed

2. put into an ice-cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturers instructions

3. makes 1 L

4. enjoy in small quantities -- very rich and very chocolaty

Little Lime Cookies -- gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, and optionally vegan

As I am always on the trail of the elusive perfect cookie -- health speaking -- I made these. They are a sweet and tasty treat that will please a moderate sweet tooth but won't spike your blood sugar. They are gluten free, dairy free, high in protein, and made with sugar alternatives that are low on the glycemic index and good for your health. In addition to being high in protein because they are made with almond flour and coconut flour, they are also made with ground chia seeds, which in addition to being a nutritional power-house, have an almost miraculously stabilizing effect on blood sugar. And the cinnamon helps regulate blood sugar as well, in addition to being a yummy flavour boost.

Our friends Kim, Brooke, and Claire joined us for an afternoon of games followed by a pizza dinner. This presents a good challenge to me because in addition to being a diabetic, Brooke as well as Kim have a selective diet. So, I always feel like I've attained quite a success when Brooke pronounces something I've made as tasting good. He's always amazed the treats I can offer him that won't adversely affect his blood sugar.

I whipped up a batch of oven roasted cashews, these little lime cookies, a couple of pizzas, a big bowl of sauteed broccoli, and chased it all with some chocolate 'ice cream' that is so creamy and rich and yummy you'd never guess it's good for you.

ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup coconut nectar
1 egg (or 1 tsp egg replacer + 2 tbsp water)

1 1/2 tsp ground vanilla (or 1 tbsp vanilla extract)
2 tsp cinnamon (ceylon or other)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup finely ground chia seeds (aka salba seeds)

1 cup almond flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup coconut flour

coconut sugar or xylitol for rolling (optional)


directions:

1. preheat the oven to 345
2. warm the coconut oil to melt it
3. mix the coconut oil, coconut nectar, lime juice
4. add the egg or egg replacer mixed with water
5. add the sea salt, vanilla, cinnamon, and chia seed
6. stir in the almond flour
7. stir in the baking soda
8. finally add the coconut flour, and mix thoroughly
9. make the dough into small balls, and roll each ball in a saucer of either coconut sugar or xylitol
10. flatten each ball onto a lined baking sheet
11. bake at 345 for 20 minutes

makes one baking sheet full -- cookie size can vary according to your preference