This is a brownie for grown-ups with feel-good ingredients; it is gluten-free and dairy-free. It’s rich, dark and not too sweet. I like it best served warm from the oven.
Ingredients
| 3 Tbsp | Chia seeds (Main) |
| ½ cup | Water |
| 300 g | Black beans, cooked, canned is fine, plus 1/4 cup juice from the beans (Main) |
| 150 g | Dates, chopped |
| 200 g | Beetroot, finely grated |
| 1 tsp | Vanilla essence |
| 125 g | Dark chocolate, 50% cocoa solids |
| ½ cup | Canola oil |
| ½ cup | Rice flour |
| ½ cup | Dark cane sugar |
| ½ tsp | Salt |
| ½ cup | Cocoa powder |
| 2 tsp | Baking powder |
Boysenberry whip
| 1 Tbsp | Runny honey |
| ½ cup | Coconut cream |
| 250 g | Boysenberries, frozen, about 2 cups |
| 1 serving | Maple syrup, to serve |
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Directions
- Set oven to 170C fan bake.
- Place chia seeds and water in a blender and run for about 30 seconds until thickened.
- Warm the black beans, juice and dates in a pan so the dates soften, then transfer to a food processor and run until dates are fully broken up.
- Add the chia mix, beetroot and vanilla essence and process until well combined, then transfer to a mixing bowl.
- Melt the chocolate in a bowl resting over a pan of hot water, then stir into bean mixture. Add canola oil, rice flour, sugar, salt, cocoa and baking powder and stir well — it's gluten-free so you can't over-mix it.
- Pour into a 20 x 30cm baking dish lined with baking paper and bake for around 35- 40 minutes until just set but still soft in the middle.
- To make the boysenberry whip, first dissolve the honey in the coconut cream. Place in a food processor with the frozen berries and run for a minute or two until nicely smooth. You may need to take off the lid and press the mixture back down a few times until the blades can get hold of it and do their magic.
- Serve with maple syrup drizzled on top.
