Raw brownie bites - a healthy treat, gluten and dairy free

Got a chocolate craving ? but you are trying to eat healthy, what about these deliciously moreish raw brownie bites. Easy to make if you have a decent food processor and dairy and gluten free, they are also a great way of using up the last of the Christmas nuts too, as you can mix and match the nut content with whatever nuts you have to hand. Favourite in our household is almonds but pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts would all work well.

The keep well in the fridge in a container cut into small bite-sized pieces, but they won't last that long I promise you. I would recommend if possible just a couple a day to stave off the chocolate cravings, they also only contain just a little honey as a sweetener, as there is no baking involved I used some of our precious Honey from our hosted hive.

So what's not to like.......

What you need

• 100g Whole shelled nuts with skins on - almonds / walnuts / hazelnuts
• 250g pitted dates (ordinary or Medjool if you can get them)
• 2 generous tablespoon of Local Honey (I used some from our hive)
• 80g Cocoa powder (Raw or at the very least Organic)
• Pinch of salt
• 50g Chopped nuts - pecan, walnuts, almonds, I used flaked  almonds as that's all I had

What you do

• Blitz the whole shelled nuts until you have a coarse powder in your food processor
• Add the Dates, Cocoa, Honey and salt to the bowl, blitz until the mixture is well chopped and starting to come together.
• Add the chopped nuts, and quickly incorporate into the mixture.
• Tip into a greaseproof lined cake tin, a 20cm square seems to be about the right size.
• Press down the mixture firmly, cover with clingfilm and press down again
• Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours
• Remove from fridge and then chop into small bite sized squares, pop them in an airtight box in the fridge to store.

We are joining in with "We should Cocoa" created by Choclette over at Tin and Thyme and hosted this month by Lovely Appetite. The theme this month being "Simple Recipes"

                                                          

Chickpea brownies, a healthy gluten free treat

Ever the one to try something different I have in the past made brownies with beetroot, avocado, dates and many other ingredients, this recipe is no different but the featured ingredient being chickpeas. Yes, folks chickpeas which make these brownies lovely and fudgey and deliciously gluten free. You can't detect the chickpeas at all in the bake, these brownies keep well for a few days in an airtight tin but I assure you they won't last that long !

The added bonus is you also get the must have ingredient of the moment - aquafaba or the humble juice from the bean can, which can be whipped up in many different delights and is a useful vegan egg substitute. More of this in the next post.

What you need

• 1 can of chickpeas - drained and rinsed, save the bean juice
• 2 free range eggs
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder - I used Green and Blacks
• 2/3 cup caster sugar
• 2 tbsp coconut milk
• 1 tsp coffee extract
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 pack of dark chocolate chips

What you do

• Pre heat oven to 180c
• Oil spray and line square approx 9"by 9" cake tin
• Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth
• Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for approximately 25 - 30mins until cooked thoroughly, test with a cocktail stick
• Cool in the tin and cut into pieces after 20 minutes or so
• Serve alone or with creme fraiche or Greek yogurt

We are linking up to Bake of the Week over on Casa Costello

                                                            


And Recipe of the Week over on A Mummy Too


                                                                 

Date sweetened gluten free brownies

These are amazing, trust me they are, purely fruit sweetened, naturally gluten free and very easy to make ( well as long as you have a decent food processor). I first spotted this recipe when it was shared by Jamie Oliver on Facebook, intrigued I popped over to the website only to find that the recipe originated from Elana Amsterdam  of Elana's pantry, one of my favourite American bloggers.

                   

In the last couple of weeks since discovering this recipe I must have made them at least half a dozen times, whipped up in about 45 minutes start to finish they are great and make a fabulous addition to any lunch box. I have now taken to bulk buying dates so I always have the ingredients in so I can whip up a batch if the mood so takes me, the recipe is rich in fibre, antioxidants and low in fat too.

I also a little bit addicted to using coconut oil in baking and this recipe being paleo in origin uses this ingredient too, you can't taste it but it seems to make your bakes more bouncy, its pricy but well worth the investment. Also please ensure you use a good quality dark chocolate so that you get the best antioxidant boost possible from your bake.

What you need

• 200g Dark chocolate (a good % of cocoa solids), broken up into squares
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 200g dates (whole stoned or chopped)
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup coconut oil - melted
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

A square cake tin, lined approximately 8" by 8"

What you do 

• Pre heat the oven to 180c
• Blitz the chocolate and bicarbonate of soda in your food processor until its the texture of coarse sand
• Next add the dates and continue to blitz until you are back to the coarse sand texture
• Add the eggs, coconut oil and vanilla to the procesor and pulse until incorporated
• Tip into your preprepared tin and smooth level in the tin
• Bake for 30 -35 minutes until risen and cooked through
• Cool initially in the tin and then on a wire rack
• Store in an airtight tin

I am entering this post in JibberJabberUK Love Cake campaign as this month's theme is "Giving Up" so as this brownie has no flour, no artifical sugar and is low fat its an appropraite entry.

                                               

And also We Should Cocoa created by Choclette and hosted this month by I'd much rather bake than..., the  theme this month being Coconut, well this recipe includes chocolate and coconut oil so I hope it qualifies.

                                                       

Avocado brownies

Now who doesn't love a chocolate brownie, but they aren't exactly healthy are they. Now you won't believe me but you can have your brownie and eat it almost guilt free.The recipe is curteous of Averie Cooks a fabulous American blogger who's blog is just amazing especially for cakes and bakes.

Avocado make the brownie mixture moist and fudgy beyond belief, I know its sound weird but it really works. Avocado's are rich is good mono saturated fats and rich in folic acid, they are also reputed to lower blood pressure too.

Since discovering this recipe, I have made it 3 or 4 times and I am just amazed as to how good it is, its also easily turned into a gluten free recipe as well ( 1 have done this a couple of times and you can't tell the difference.) The avocado is also replacing some of the butter so they are almost healthy, give them a try.

What you need

• 1 ripe avocado, flesh removed and mashed very well
• 1/4 cup of butter - melted
• 1 egg - free range please
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown soft brown sugar 
• 2 tbsp coffee ( I just mix a tsp of instant with 2 tbsp water)
• 2 tsp vanilla paste
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder (quality - you can taste the difference)
• 1/4 cup plain flour (gluten free)
• 1 tsp baking powder (my addition just to lighten recipe slighty) optional

What you do

• Pre heat the oven to 180C and line a tin approx 8 by 8 inches with baking parchment or foil
• In a bowl mix the mashed advocado, melted butter, egg,coffee, vanilla paste until you have a smooth paste.
• Sieve in the cocoa powder, stir into until well mixed
• Sieve in the flour and baking powder, stir in until incorporated
• Pour the batter into the prepared tin, smooth into the tin and the corners
• Bake for 30 -35 minutes, until set and tests cooked with a skewer, you are looking for a bake where you have a few moist crumbs on your skewer
• Cool fully in the tin
• Once fully cold, then cut into chunks, best stored wrapped in the fridge or in an airtight tin in a cool place.

Chocolate chestnut brownies

After baking with chestnut in my last clandestine cake club cake post, I had both some puree and whole chestnut leftover. I love chocolate brownies so I thought I would mix the two, the resultant bake is a lovely festive treat and is great with a coffee, not at all nutty more of an aromatically moist crumbly treat enhanced by adding the chestnut.

Ingredients

• 140g dark chocolate (approx 50% cocoa solids or more)
• 200g approx chestnut puree ( I blitzed my leftovers)
• 200g granulated sugar
• 170g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 large eggs - free range
• 100g butter
• Drop of milk to loosen mix if necessary

Method

• Preheat your oven to 170c fan / 180c nornal oven, line a deep square or oblong baking tin, approx 20cm square ish
• Melt chocolate and butter in bowl in the warming oven
• Mix your eggs and sugar and whisk until ribbony and volume increased
• Cool slightly your chocolate and butter mix , then mix with your egg mixture and all your other ingredients, adding a little milk if necessary.
• Pour into the prepared tin
• Bake for approx 15- 20 minutes until cooked but still slightly moist in the middle
• Remove from oven and fully cool in the tin
• Cut in to chunks and dust with icing sugar, if you are feeling very festive you could use gold spray or edible glitter too.

Chocolate Beetroot Brownies

Flicking through this month's Country Living magazine I came across another recipe for Chocolate Beetroot Brownies, I normally use HFW recipe but thought I would try this one. The result is a very moist chocolatey brownie that also seems light in texture, this is hubby's favourite brownie so far and uses beetroot one of my favourite ingredients due to its vivid colour. Beetroot are very easy to grow in the garden too !

Ingredients

• 250g cooked beetroot ( or you could use a packet) pureed until smooth
• 200g plain dark colour
• 250g butter
• 250g caster sugar
• 3 eggs ( free range please)
• 150g self raising flour, sifted

Method

Preheat your oven to 180c, whilst the oven is warming for eco reasons, I put the butter and chocolate in a bowl to melt in the warming oven. Meanwhile whisk together the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, whisk in the butter and chocolate  mix when melted and then add the flour, mix well and pour into your lined 30cm by 22cm baking tin.

Bake until well risen and until just slightly moist in the centre. This will be approximately 20 minutes. Allow to cool and then cut in to chunky pieces.