Beetroot Chocolate Brownies

I’m in recipe practice mode for our new tuckshop at school.

I want to make yummy food that is as healthy as possible without being boring.

So this afternoon I decided to make Beetroot Brownie’s. I’ve made many brownies in my years of cooking and always thought they were pretty insane. 

Till today!

My self-set goal was to make a healthy brownie (or at least as healthy as a brownie can be), so I went to one of my favourite cookbooks, by one of my favourite Authors ‘River Cottage everyday' by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

He has a brownie recipe in which he uses beetroot. What made me think of this was that I was watching him on t.v and he was making this very brownie, and being on my cleanse I was dreaming of eating it and so I thought, if I can't enjoy one then at least my children and their friends can enjoy them.

But me being me I couldn’t just follow the recipe, I had change it, just a little. 

I wanted to make a recipe the other mum’s(who were on tuckshop duty) could cook easily if need be and it had to be gluten free, as there are many children who have wheat allergies and I wanted to cut the sugar content down too.

So here is my version of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s Chocolate and beetroot brownies

you will also need eggs

You will need;

250g unsalted butter

250g dark chocolate 70% (2 and a bit blocks)

250g beetroot (2 medium beets)

3 eggs

150g raw sugar

100ml agave

100g brown rice flour

50g Quinoa flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon of ground vanilla powder

a pinch of salt

What your going to have once you've finished

Ok this is how we do it;

Preheat your oven to 180c

Line a baking tray with wax paper ready for when we need it. (my tray measured 30cm x 10cm and it’s about 5cm deep)

Start with boiling your beetroot (I gave them a scrub before putting them in the pot), boil till you can easily insert a knife into the centre. Once they are cooked let them cool then grate them and set aside.

grated beets

Now melt your butter and chocolate in a bowl over simmering water, once the mixture melts and you have stirred it well, take it off the heat and let it cool a little while you get the other things moving, oh and add your 100ml of agave and give it a stir.

Chocolate and egg mix

In my pride and joy (my Kitchen Aid) I whisked 3 eggs with the 150g sugar till light and fluffy. Then slowly poured in the chocolate mixture and kept whisking till it was all combined.

step by step folding in

Measure out your flours, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla and salt.

Then as Hugh says, with a metal spoon fold in the flour mixture (I sifted this in to the bowl) carefully, so it’s all just combined. Then add the grated beetroot and again carefully fold it in.

Now get your baking tin and pour the mixture in and spread evenly, pop into your pre-heated oven and cook for 20-30 min depending on your oven (check after 20 min, it should look like my photo and when you stick a knife in it will come out clean).

Leave to cool slightly before de-moulding, then slice into squares and eat warm (amazing) or cold (equally amazing).

I, of course, being on my cleanse could not indulge (but I did have a tiny corner just to check I wasn’t poisoning the children) and can I just say, best brownies I have ever made (handsdown)! Frank and her friend Pea inhaled them (of course none the wiser of what was in them). 

Then I took some to my next door neighbour and her son (I told her what was in them but not Alex, and he gave me a 9 ½ out of 10), then I took some to Pea’s mum, (can you tell, I just needed to get them out of the house fast!) Then Mima and Wilco got them for dessert. Mima, I knew would love them and Wilco loved them so much that he couldn’t talk because his mouth was crammed with brownie, he couldn’t get it in fast enough.

So this recipe is a winner with the kids and the adults, a definite for our new tuckshop.

Enjoy! x

Mouth watering

By the way I got my new camera...can you tell? If you want to in-large my photos just click on them. x

©Michelle Schoeps 2013

All photos taken by Michelle Schoeps