Friday, July 30, 2010

BROWNIES 12 & 13




Ina Garten thinks I should be arrested!!  Well if she knew me she would think I should be arrested, well if she knew I made these Brownies she would think I should be arrested!!  All a very convoluted way to say that Ina thinks that anyone who makes Brownies without butter should be arrested, and I am here to confess, hands out, ready for the cuffs and to hear my rights.  IF I can just have another one with a nice mug of coffee, I'll go quietly!!

After the horribleness that were Brownies 4 I was slow to try Harry Eastwood's beetroot brownies from Red Velvet Chocolate Heartache, but I was wrong they are delicious, truly delicious - moist, densely chocolaty, perfect texture, taste, the works.  I know the fact that I used the organic beetroot from my weekly delivery helped, I know the fact that I baked them myself (instead of using the horrible vacuum packed precooked ones I used last time) helped, but I have to say that these were so good that I imagine they would overcome even the factory cooked beetroot.

I changed the method quite a bit as I had baked the beetroot before I read the recipe, so I will give you my method as that is what worked for me!!

Super Yummy (and not too bad for you) Brownies

400g        cooked peeled beetroot
100g        hazelnuts
3              eggs
220g        light muscovade sugar
1/4 tsp    salt
150g       dark chocolate (I used l00g Lindt 70% and 50g Lindt 85%)
2 tbsp     white rice flour
70g         cocoa powder (I used Green and Black)
2 tsp       baking powder
1 tsp       vanilla extract
30g         chopped hazelnuts for the top

Preheat oven to 160 C
Line a brownie tin with baking paper

Blitz 100g hazelnuts in the food processor into a fine powder.
Whisk the sugar and eggs until light and frothy (approx. 5 minutes)
Remove the nuts from the processor and then blitz the beetroot until smooth.
(my processor didn't get it smooth enough, so I then added it to the egg mixture and blitzed it with a stick blender)
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water.
Meanwhile add the powdered hazelnuts, rice flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, vanilla extract and salt to the egg, sugar and beetroot mixture, stir through carefully.
Add the melted chocolate and combine.
Pour the mixture into the brownie tin and sprinkle with the 30g of chopped hazelnuts.
Bake for 35 minutes, until cracked on top but still moist in the middle.
When baked remove to a wire rack for 20 minutes in the tin.  Then cut into individual portions and allow to cool completely.




I have also experimented with the Blondies from this book, when I baked them I wondered how they would taste as brownies proper so I replaced two heaped tablespoons of rice flour for the same amount of cocoa, and they were very good, the blueberries didn't sit quite so well with the dark chocolate, so I tried them without


using chocolate chunks in place of the fruit and they were excellent - the perfect option when you can't get your hands on some beetroot.

Now for the rating - in an ideal world I would side with Ina and always have butter in my brownies, but for the real world the beetroot brownies would have to wing their way to the top of the list - for a delicious luxurious treat, with quarter the guilt factor!! 

19 comments:

My Farmhouse Kitchen said...

o.k. i am getting out my baking pan right now.....

kary

Unknown said...

who needs butter? Do they taste in any way beetrooty? It seems so bizarre but I can understand how they would work...

Sook said...

Ooh yummy! I love brownies and these brownies sound so good.

Brownieville Girl said...

Not even a hint of beetrootiness Dom!!!!

freerangegirl said...

These look great, Ive just bought the same book and I wondering which to try first, looks like its going to be these - yum!

Unknown said...

I don't care how hot it is here in New Mexico, I am baking some brownies!

Rhyleysgranny said...

Mmmmmmmm love these brownies. x

Anonymous said...

ooh la la..... beetroot in a brownie and no butter! naughty... breaking traditions... love it! foodie love from wisconsin megan

Bigarade said...

Brownie!!
any thoughts on moving into my house?
i could do with a few dozen batches of these..
green and blacks chocolate mmmm :D

Jutta said...

I always love reading about your brownie experiments BG! Tell me, is Red Velvet Chocolate Heartache worth buying, it is one I have been thinking about for a while.

Anonymous said...

I am so thrilled to find this recipe as I am always on the look out for butter free recipes and have had a real hit and miss experience with them. I adore beetroot so this is a fantastic recipe as far as I am concerned. Can't wait to try them.

À LA GRAHAM said...

I have never used beetroot and I am intrigued! They look awesome!

Anonymous said...

I'll have to take your word for it - if I even tried to put beets in baked recipe, my family would revolt (LOL)!

Lorna said...

Wow, have lots of beetroot growing in veg garden this year, will def give this a try

Brownieville Girl said...

It's a fantastic book if you are trying to keep down your fat intake Jutta (or if you are trying to get veggies into someone!!)

What they don't know won't hurt them Edie!!!

I know I'm very bold Megan!!!!

FRG, Linda, Granny, DCW, ALG and Lorna - thanks. I really think they are worth a try.

Susan Lindquist said...

I am ALWAYS looking for a new brownie recipe and if there's a way to use up some of the beets we grow... more power to the recipe! Besides, they DO look awesome! Thanks, Browniegirl!

Choclette said...

Love the addition of hazelnuts. I wonder if the butter has any effect on keeping quality - although I guess with brownies that's not generally an issue!

Jhonny walker said...

Brown girl,

these brwonies are looking not just great..but knowing the content, I would feel so good about eating these...great ones!

Lucie said...

These look soooo good, I could eat the lot!