Zucchini brownies

Ok so brownies are a Big deal. If you can make good brownies you pretty much have a permanent place in my heart. And no joke I have witnessed guys go from polite to putty in a girls hands because she makes good brownies. 

And the thing is brownies should be so simple to make but apparently not. I have had so many brownie disasters, undercooked, over cooked, brownies that literally melt in your mouth because even the the top is crispy the insides are goo (not as nice as they sound), brownies that refuse to develop that crispy top and brownies that taste like crap. And that was before I cut out dairy, and then gluten. My coconut flour brownies sucked, but then I don't like coconut flour so it may have been more to do with that? 

So what better to do than to make brownies that are vegan and gluten free and full of vegetables? It makes sense.

Im pleased to report that these were not disaster brownies. They're chocolatey and gooey and have that crispy top that I had resigned myself to having to forego if I was going to make vegetable brownies.

They also don't taste like zucchini at all. 

Which is great because while I love zucchini I don't want zucchini dessert.

Ingredients

1/2 cup canola oil

1 1/2 cups organic brown cane sugar (or other sugar of your choice I'm just opting to be pretentious at the moment)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

2 cups gluten free flour

1/2 cup organic cocoa 

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups fresh zucchini (shredded. You guys my food processor grates/shreds stuff at the speed of light I'm so amazed)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions

1.Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. 

2.Grease or line your parking pan (I uses a 10x10 pan but would recommend an 8x8 pan for thicker brownies. I'm just lazy and had just used my 8x8 pan for a batch of blondies and couldn't be bothered to wash it up),

3.In a large bowl mix together oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract until well blended. In another bowl combine the flour, ½ cup cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. A little at a time stir into the sugar mixture. At this point the mixture will be really crumbly and you'll be tempted to add in as many wet brownie ingredients as you can remember from the area of your brain reserved to brownie baking. Ignore your panic, it's supposed to be like this. 

3.5 I should also mention that because I was so excited about my new food processor that I actually skipped the process of wet and dry ingredients and just threw it all in and blitzed it. I'm happy to report that this works. Hoorah for lazy brownies!

4.Fold in the zucchini (and walnuts if you used them) suddenly your dry, crumbly brownie mix will look like molten chocolate. Glorious. 

5. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the brownies spring back when gently touched. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool (or not because hot brownies are bloody amazing

Chickpea peanut butter blondies

Ingredients

• 1 can (398ml.) chickpeas, rinsed & drained
• ½ cup peanut butter
• ¾ cup maple syrup (this time I discovered I had run out of maple syrup so I substituted for 1/3 cup agave, 1/4 brown cane sugar and 80ml water which works just as well) 
• 2 tsp vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ cups dark chocolate chips, reserve ¼ cup for the top
• pinch sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a loaf pan with parchment paper
2. In a food processor (or high speed blender), add all ingredients except chocolate chips and process until batter is smooth, similar consistency to hummus
3. Stir in 1/2 cup of the dark chocolate chips
4. Scoop the batter into the lined pan and smooth it out evenly. Lightly press the remaining chocolate chips over top
5. Bake for 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. This will vary with ovens so be patient and wait until the edges are beginning to brown
6. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan then transfer to a rack for another 30 minutes for them to set
7. Cut into squares

 

Coconut and avocado cookie (cakes)

This is a recipe that I've used a lot in the past but adapted by request of Harrison who wanted to have them based with coconut flour rather than my usual gluten free flour mix.

These most certainly didn't turn out like my usual cookies, the coconut flour is far denser than a normal flour blend and these cookies are more like little cakes.

In saying that they still went down well enough for the recipe to make it onto this blog. However I'm definitely going to post my normal chocolate avocado cookie recipe soon.

Enjoy 

X

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2/3 cup organic cocoa
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup mashed avocado
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup almond milk
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment and set aside. 

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa. Set aside. 

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the coconut oil, avocado, and sugars together until creamy and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the vanilla extract. 

4. With the mixer on low, add half of the flour mixture. Add the milk and then add the remaining dry ingredients. Mix until the flour disappears. Stir in the chocolate chips.

4.5 You might find that with coconut flour the cookie dough is still really crumbly, add more milk, coconut oil or a small amount of water till it can be formed into balls easily.

5. Form cookie dough into tablespoon balls and place on prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Slightly flatten the cookies with the palm of your hand or a spatula. Bake cookies for 10 minutes, or until set around the edges, but still soft in the center. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for two minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

Chocolate and Blueberry Post Workout Protein Cake

*insert text post about wanting a delicious chocolatey treat that is both healthy and high in protein after every drill sergeant tough workout at the gym*

Except I don't go to the gym, ever. And honestly if I ever do go to the gym Id rather treat myself with a celebratory glass (bottle) of wine, not a slice of chocolate cake. 

However, if you are predisposed to a chocolatey treat that seems to undo your hard work at the gym this is pretty perfect for you.

Ingredients 

• 1 can of aduki (or black) unsalted 

   beans (cooked) 

•  1/2 cup of liquid egg whites OR whites of 4 eggs 

• 1/2 cup of chocolate whey protein 

   powder  

• 1 pot (300g) of low-fat cottage 

   cheese 

• 1/2 cup of raw cocoa powder 

• 3/8 cup of organic honey

• 3 tbsp of coconut flour 

• 1 tsp of baking powder

Method

- boil black beans for 5 minutes (or until soft) and drain. 

- blend cooked beans, cottage cheese, egg whites and honey together until they form a smooth paste.

- pour mixture into a large bowl. 

- fold in baking powder, flour, cocoa powder and protein powder until everything is properly combined.

-stir in a fresh blueberries 

- pour into a greased tin and bake at 170 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

For the frosting (optional) :

- 2 tbs peanut butter,

- 4 tbs almond milk and 

- 1tbs icing sugar

Gluten free, Sugar free (VEGAN!) Banana Balls

These should be boring and disgusting, because honestly who wants cake without sugar and gluten? I made these into balls because I've already posted a regular banana bread and the banana bites but as with most bread and cake recipes this can be loaded into whatever pan you like and baked into whatever shape and size you desire. 

I would advice against using these as cake pops though, they aren't dense enough and just slide down the cake pop stick this ruining the illusion that you're clever enough to make successful cake pops.

Ingredients: 

- 4 ripe bananas (the blacker the banana the sweeter they will be) 

- 1/4 cup of oil (I used olive oil but you can also use coconut oil or butter) 

- 1 1/2 cups of almond flour

- 3/4 tsp baking powder

- 1/2 cup almond milk 

- 3/4 tsp cinammon 

- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

- 1/2 tsp real salt 

Method: 

- Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees Celcius.

- In one bowl mash the peeled bananas and mix in the oil. 

- sift together the flour, baking powder and cinnamon in a separate bowl.

- Fold in flour mixture, salt and vanilla extract to the oil and banana.

- mix  slowly add in the milk (you may not use all of it depending on the consistency of the batter)

- Bake in a greased cake pop pan for 20 minutes, before checking (approximately).

 - Allow to cool a little before eating..

Banana Bread Bites

I make so many different variations of banana bread that its ridiculous. Gluten free, vegan, bread, loaf, muffins, with walnuts, without walnuts... You name it i make it, and I make it on a regular basis.

Normally I opt for a gluten free, vegan version. I suppose that's something stemming from my anorexia. If I'm going to eat something like this then it should be as clean and healthy as possible. 

One day I'll post that recipe, but not today. Today is a day to break away from clean eating (you need those days every now and again). Plus I've promised a friend banana bread and almond flour is off the menu. 

- 285g/10oz plain flour

- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

- ½ tsp salt

- 110g/4oz butter, plus extra for greasing

- 225g/8oz caster sugar

- 2 free-range eggs

- 4 ripe bananas, mashed

- 85ml/3fl oz buttermilk (or normal milk mixed with 1½ tsp lemon juice or vinegar)

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

2. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large mixing bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

4. Add the eggs, mashed bananas, buttermilk and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture and mix well. Fold in the flour mixture.

5. Grease a 20cm x 20cm square cake tin and pour the mixture in evenly.

6. Transfer to the oven and bake for about an hour, or until well-risen and golden-brown.

7. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for a few minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into bite sizes portions and serving.