Chocolate Beet Brownies

I once ate some wonderful beet chocolate brownies at a baby shower. The woman who made them said they were sweetened with beets instead of sugar, but I haven't been able to find such a recipe. I often use xylitol instead of sugar for it's healthier properties.

This recipe came from La Tartine Gourmande.

Beet Chocolate Brownies
You need:
3 oz (90 g) Dark chocolate (I used a 75 % cocoa dark chocolate)
3.5 oz (100 g) flour
3.5 oz (100 g) almond powder
3 oz (90 g) sugar
3 oz (90 g) butter (soft)
4 eggs
7 oz (200 g) shredded raw red beet root
Vanilla extract
Confectioner sugar and cocoa for decoration

Steps:

Start by peeling and shredding the beets. Set aside

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.

Mix together (using a food processor, I use my Kitchen Aid Stand) the butter with the eggs, then add the sugar.

Mix until lighter, then add the chocolate, flour, almond powder, the beets and the vanilla extract, and mix well.

Butter a small mould

(I used a round mould but a square one works well) and place greased parchment paper at the bottom)

Pour the preparation in it and bake in the oven for about 30 mns in a preheated oven, 350 F (180 C)

Note: Your brownies are cooked once the blade of a knife comes out dry after you insert the blade in the brownies.

This information is from Marion Owen of Kodiak Island, Alaska.

Beet greens contain vitamins A and C, and more iron and minerals than spinach. Beet roots are rich in potassium and contain protein, fiber, iron, calcium, phosphate, niacin, folate and vitamins A and C. They can be baked, steamed, pickled, used in soups, salads, side dishes and secretly added to chocolate brownie recipes.

These brownies are rich, chewy, and secretly nutritious!

Chocolate Beet Brownies

1/2 cup butter (or 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup applesauce)

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate

4 eggs

1 cup brown sugar (packed)

1 cup applesauce

1 tsp. vanilla

1-1/2 cup unbleached white flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. baking powder

1 15 oz. can beets packed in water, drained and mashed; or 1 cup cooked beets

1/2 cup finely chopped almonds

1/2 cup wheat germ

Melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Set aside to cool. In a separate bowl, beat eggs until light in color and foamy. Add sugar and vanilla and continue beating until well creamed.

Stir in chocolate mixture, followed by applesauce and beets. Sift together flour, salt, spices and baking powder and stir into creamed mixture. Fold in wheat germ and almonds.

Turn into greased 9x13-inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Cool before cutting into squares.

I found a recipe for Chile Brownies which are supposedly a staple in Texas. When I was growing up in Austin, I never heard of chile brownies. I also never ate rattlesnake.

More recipes that sound yummy:

Chocolate Decadence, a.k.a. Chocolate Nemesis flourless chocolate cake

Beet or Ruby Brownies
Serves: 8-12 Time: about 1 hour including bake time

Source: Ruoka & Viini

about 2-4 small beets or 3/4 cup of beet puree
3.5 oz baking/semi-sweet chocolate
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch salt
1-2 teaspoons cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar or vanilla extract
7 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup ground nuts

Butter and dust with cocoa a 23cm/8-9 inch round cake pan. Heat oven to 175C/350F.

Boil beets with skins until soft. Peel and puree with a hand blender or grate finely and mash. You should have about 3/4 c of beet puree.

Melt chocolate and allow to cool.

Mix flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla sugar together and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar together and add eggs one at a time until the mixture is smooth. Add chocolate, beet puree, and flour mixture individually, mixing well. Fold in nuts.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese , softened but still cool
5 tablespoons unsalted butter softened, but still cool
1 tablespoon sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar (4 1/2 oz/ 127g)

When cake is cool, mix cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla at medium high speed in clean bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment ( or in large bowl using handheld mixer) until well combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add confectioners’ sugar and mix until very fluffy, about 1 minute.