Bargaining for Brownies

Since I visited my parents for dinner last weekend, they drove up north on Friday night to eat with me. My “uncle,” one of Dad’s old college buddies, flew into town midweek, so he tagged along to join us for burgers, falafel, fries, and stew at a local grill and pizzeria.

As soon as we sat down, Uncle began raving about the best brownies he’s ever had. He confessed to eating four the night before and another two that afternoon (although he did run 20+ miles both days!). Describing them as rich, fudgy, and addictive, Uncle mentioned the treats another four times in our dinner conversation and mulled over the baker’s recipe.

Mom and Dad stared pointedly at me each time, but with the hectic week at work, I completely forgot that I had made them brownies when I went home. Uncle kept complimenting my baking! So we struck a deal: I would give him this recipe in exchange for his eggplant dip. Enjoy, Uncle!

Flourless Black Bean Brownies

modified from Carly Sulli’s recipe

makes 16

Do NOT taste the batter before pouring it into the pan!! I know it’s hard, but wait until the brownies have come out of the oven to try a taste. Because of licking the spatula, I wasn’t able to get past the subtle taste of the black beans to fully enjoy the rich fudgy brownies.

1 (15 oz) can black beans (50% less sodium), rinsed and drained

3 egg whites

⅓ c. unsweetened applesauce (approx. 1 individual snack-size container)

½ c. unsweetened cocoa powder

½ c. granulated sugar

3 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp instant coffee or espresso powder (opt.)

½ c. Ghirardelli bittersweet (60%) chocolate morsels

Preheat the oven to 350°, and lightly coat an 8×8” baking pan with nonstick spray. In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients except the chocolate chips. Purée until smooth. Pour the mixture into a bowl, and stir in the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350° for 30-35 min or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (may take 40-45 min). Cool in the pan for 10 min before cutting into squares.