What Can A Healthier Brownie Do For You?

Double Chocolate Brownies



Ok, so I've been on the search for the perfect brownie...well, the perfectly acceptable, healthier brownie. I think I've come very close, maybe the closest I've ever come....I've seen recipes with black beans or spinach in brownies & neither of these seem to motivate me.

That is until the day I ran across a brownie recipe with prunes. That seems to make sense! Prunes can cut out fat & add to the "fudgy factor".....Here is the original recipe, courtesy of the Martha Stewart owned Body & Soul magazine.

Three testers later, we agree, these brownies are delicious. Give 'em a try & let guilt go.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup turbinado sugar (or raw sugar-either way, it makes a big difference from bleached white sugar)1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/4 cup prune puree (or 1/3 cup if you prefer gooier brownies)2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup oat flour (oatmeal blended up in the blender)
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Optional:
1 tsp. instant coffee or espresso powder (trust me on this one, it REALLY brings out the chocolate flavor)
1/2-3/4 cup chocolate chips or mini-chocolate chips (this is really over the top, but amazing--I know, I know, it defeats the purpose)

Really Optional:
1 tsp. cinnamon for times you are the in Mexican chocolate mood
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang. (Or, alternatively, do as I did and spray the pan down with Pam!)

Combine chocolate and oil in a medium heat-proof bowl. Set bowl over a pan of simmering water; stir until chocolate has melted. Remove from heat; whisk in sugar, egg, egg white, prune puree, vanilla, and salt until smooth.

In a medium bowl, combine oat flour and cocoa. Stir into chocolate mixture just until incorporated. Then add in any optional ingredients if using (really, one must try the chocolate chips!).

Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake until top is firm and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. This is roughly 40 to 45 minutes. Cool completely in pan.
Using foil, lift brownies from pan. Peel off foil. Using a serrated knife, cut into 12 rectangles (And if you didn't use foil, like myself, they will still lift out just fine).

These are my changes:

Easiest thing to do is to melt the chocolate & oil in a medium pot & then successively follow the rest of the recipe by mixing ingredients in the same pot. one dish dessert :)

The dough seemed dry to me so I added around 1/3 cup milk, but I think you can add soymilk instead. Maybe those of you that try it won't have a dry dough like myself.

Makes 12 brownies

ENJOY!