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Coco-Walnut Power Brownies

One night after dinner, Mr. Zucchini Runner looked at me and asked, “What’s for dessert?” 🙂 We didn’t have anything – it needed to be created – so that’s exactly what I did. After staring at the pantry and analyzing the ingredients we had, I landed on brownies. As I was mixing up the batter, trying to keep it as healthy as I could, the batter was not giving me a promising taste. Gluten free flours never taste good raw however, so I was still hopeful that the baking process would make these magical. (Keep in mind, there is spelt flour too which contains gluten – it was the garbanzo bean flour that didn’t taste great.)

Mr. Zucchini Runner took the first bite after a painful 30 minutes of cooling from the oven, and made a very stoic face. I was nervous. Then he started to smirk and eventually said, “These are absolutely incredible.” I quickly cut myself a piece and was relieved to find out they did taste exceptionally delicious, especially considering I didn’t follow a recipe at all. It was a baking miracle… at least for me. I was pretty happy, but still not certain they were blog worthy. So, of course we needed more opinions.

photo 1

After dropping off two lonely brownies to Mr. Zucchini Runner’s brother and sister-in-law, during a Thanksgiving evening visit, I was anxiously awaiting their reaction the next morning. The text I received SEALED THE DEAL. I believe one of the adjectives she used was divine – and this gal KNOWS her sweets, as co-owner of Dixie Lou Cupcakes! So, enough talking these things up, I don’t want it to be detrimental to them!

I will say the best part, is they can be slightly modified and double as a power brownie, used before or after a workout. Don’t worry, I’ll explain more later.

Base recipe:
1/2 c. garbanzo bean flour + 1/2 c. spelt flour (You can also use 1 c. all-purpose gluten free baking flour)
1/2 c. cocoa powder
2 dashes pink Himalayan sea salt

3 tbsp. chia seeds + 1 c. water (let set for at least 5 minutes)

Melt together (microwave or stovetop):
1/4 c. coconut oil, organic, virgin, unrefined is best (see valuable facts about this oil below the slideshow)
1/2 c. maple syrup

1 tea. vanilla extract

Optional add-ins:
1/3 c. dried unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1  1/2 c. vegan dark chocolate chips, divided into 1 and 1/2 cups

Combine the base recipe in a bowl and set aside. Add chia seeds to 1 cup water and set aside. Heat the coconut oil and maple syrup in the microwave. Once coconut oil is melted, add vanilla extract to mixture. Add chia seeds and water once the seeds have their gel coating; this takes about 5 minutes. Stir well before adding to the base recipe. Stir well to combine. At this point, if you want power brownies just place this mixture into an 8″x8″ pan sprayed with coconut oil. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, or until the center is cooked through. The good news is, they don’t have any raw eggs or unstable ingredients, so if they are a little undercooked, they will still be amazing.

If you want a true brownie, before adding them to the pan, add coconut flakes, 1/2 c. choc chips and walnuts to the batter and stir to combine. Pour into 8″x8″ pan sprayed with coconut oil. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on top and return to oven for 2-4 minutes to help melt the chips. Remove and use a rubber spatula to spread chips into a smooth frosting. Sprinkle with coconut flakes and/or additional nuts if desired. Allow to cool for 60 minutes before cutting, to allow the chocolate topping to harden up. You can place in the fridge to speed up the process, or just cut into them after 30 minutes like Mr. Zucchini Runner did.

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*Fun facts about coconut oil:
– medium-chain fat, which means is will not store easily in your body, but instead will get burned immediately for energy (which is why this is good for a workout… or recovery after as refueling)
– because it’s a medium-chain fat, it helps you burn more of your stored fats – otherwise known as weight loss and increasing your metabolism
– it doesn’t raise LDL (bad) cholesterol, but will increase HDL (good) cholesterol
– has a similar power of omega-3s to inhibit platelet stickiness and therefore potentially prevent blood clots and stroke
– you can use it as a face moisturizer and lotion (I’ve been trying this for about a week with great success – and I have oily skin!)
These facts were pulled directly from the book The Science of Skinny by Dee McCaffrey, CDC. I’m reading this book currently for my Holistic Nutrition Certification – there is so much more that coconut oil can do! I encourage you to do some of your own research to learn more about this miracle oil.

Cherry Almond Brownie Bites

I’m always on the hunt for a quick and easy homemade chocolate fix. These little cherry almond brownie bites did not disappoint. Not only did they satisfy my chocolate craving, they also have a tart zing from the dried cherries. The last three ingredients in the below recipe are listed as optional, because I was making these up as I went along. They tasted great with just the top four ingredients, but a little TOO much zing for Mr. Zucchini Runner! Adding the coconut oil and vanilla bean helped to mellow it out. The maca powder is totally optional. I just added that so we got a little adaptogen action in our system. I also loved using the almonds in this recipe versus the pecans from my other, similar raw brownie recipe. Almonds are lower in fat and calories, higher in protein and add some visual interest with the contrasting colors. You can really use any nut you want or have on hand however.

Another fun fact about these bites, is they are NO BAKE! So that saves on some of the prep time.

cherry almond brownie bites

 

Cherry Almond Brownie Bites
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Cherry Almond Brownie Bites

Using a tablespoon, measure out dough and shape into a ball.

Ingredients

1 c. almonds (preferably soaked and dehydrated - I will be covering this in my next post)

1/2 c. dried tart cherries

1/2 c. Medjool dates, pitted

5 TBS raw cacao powder

1 tsp. raw maca powder (optional)

1 tsp. organic, unrefined coconut oil (optional - to add some moisture, ensuring dough is sticky)

1 vanilla bean, scraped (optional - don't sub vanilla extract)

Instructions

    Process the almonds in a food processor until coarsely chopped.

    Add the tart cherries, dates, cacao powder and maca (if using); process until well combined.

    If the mixture seems a little dry, you can add one teaspoon of coconut oil, ensuring you distribute it evenly around the processing bowl, so it doesn't clump in one spot. Process until well incorporated.

    Add the inside scrapings of the vanilla bean and add to the processing bowl in a similar way as the coconut oil. Process again.

    Using a tablespoon, measure out 1 TBS of dough by pressing firmly into the measuring spoon. Scoop out and firmly shape into a ball, for a nice bite-sized treat!

    Store in the refrigerator or freezer. Makes about 15-18 bites, depending on how much you taste test along the way!

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https://www.zucchinirunner.com/2015/02/15/cherry-almond-brownie-bites/

What is your favorite chocolate-loaded treat?

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