Mint Brownies (sorta...)

(Earlier today in Nik's kitchen. Two divas leaning in front of the oven door, peering in the window.)

Diva #1: What is it?
Diva #2: Smells like brownies...
Diva #1: Maybe it IS brownies.
Diva #2: With our mom it's never JUST brownies...

Yep...they are right. Because this is no-flour baking baby!!!

Ok, so I didn't invent the concept of black bean brownies. Heck, I wasn't even the first of you guys to make them. I've always regarded them with curiosity (much like the curiosity I have for this so-called "cauliflower crust pizza" which I'm still a bit scared to try).

I mean, I got the concept. Got how it worked. But for real...does it taste like a brownie? I decided to give it a try.

But here's the thing. I'm not all into the mess of melting down chocolate so I had to find a recipe structure that used cocoa powder. I did! Here's my modified recipe.

Minty Black Bean Brownies

Ingredients

1 (15 oz.) can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 c. Splenda (or if you aren't into Splenda, use what you like to equal 3/4 c. sugar. I just know I like things a bit sweeter but if you aren't...um...me...you might even go with 3/4 c. Splenda)
1/2 stick low-calorie baking butter (I used Blue Bonnet Light = 50 calories per tablespoon)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 c. baking cocoa
a "pinch of salt"
1 egg + 2 egg whites

Optional: 3-4 pumps Davinci sugar-free Peppermint Paddy syrup

Topping:

A few candy canes (I believe they have sugar free ones, mine are fully loaded because I couldn't find sugar-free)

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

The base recipe I used called for mixing all ingredients in a bowl with a hand mixer. That did not work for me. I had to bust out the Magic Bullet and whiz the beans up a bit THEN I put it in my stand mixer and added the rest of the ingredients. My batter came out looking like this:



So...it looks like brownie batter. Smells like it too. And let me just say that before I added the cocoa it did not. It smelled like...black beans. But have some faith here...this can work!

Pour into greased 8x8 baking pan and bake for about 25 minutes (or until center is set and edges are pulling away from the sides). This is important, so listen closely...LET IT COOL!

So here's mine out of the oven:



It LOOKS like a brownie. But for real...does it taste like a brownie?

It does! BUT (hoooooold your horses there Foodies). It doesn't exactly FEEL like a brownie. It's not exactly cakey. It's sort of dense. But I kid you not they don't taste like black beans. They taste chocolatey and minty, like a mint brownie should taste. My mouth is very confused.

So was La Grande Diva's when she tasted it. With her, if something tastes good, she simply nods. For this she took a bite...paused...bit again...and then said, "I don't know how I feel about these..."

Truth be told, I am sort of there with her. They were yummy (even she agreed) but it was a departure from a traditional brownie and I haven't quite decided if it's in a good or a bad way.

What are YOUR thoughts? Have you ever made black bean brownies? How did you make them and how did they turn out? I'd love to hear from you!

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