With this recipe
I wanted to make the ultimate healthy brownie (if such a thing exists!). No
refined sugar or white flour, gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free. It’s only
my second batch and they’re tasting pretty good. Of course do not expect a fat and
sugar laden but god damn delicious Nigella Lawson brownie. These are a little
more modest in flavor in comparison but way healthier and more environment and
animal friendly :)
I told my
sweet-toothed friend about these and it instantly reminded him of the time his
dad baked stuff from the Cranks recipe book. Apparently the stuff he made
always turned out slightly tasteless, dry and floury. He assures me these
brownies are not like that at all and ‘surprisingly moist’. I definitely think
they’re sweet enough. Anyway, as a result of the whole Cranks story we renamed
these as Cranks brownies. Please don’t be put off. (FYI Cranks was
a chain of English wholefood vegetarian restaurants).
This recipe uses date paste, banana and molasses to add
sweetness. Date paste is great. Unlike sugar, which has zero nutritional value,
dates are rich in dietary
fibre and vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, and C. They also contain magnesium,
potassium and iron. You can use it to replace the sweetener (e.g. sugar, honey,
maple syrup, agave) in many recipes. Molasses is a good source of calcium, magnesium, potassium
and iron. One tablespoon provides up to 20% of the daily value of each of those
nutrients.
One of the
reasons for using less sugar is because, as I am sure you’ve heard, it’s bloody
bad for you. There’s mounting evidence to suggest that high intake of sugar
rich foods may lead to increased deposition of visceral fat and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Yikes! Here’s a link to a nice and easy to digest
leaflet about sugar and your health:
So, having read
the info in the link above, still want Nigella’s brownies (I bet you do) or will
you give these a try?
Coconut chocolate
brownies (aka Cranks brownies), makes 12
Dry ingredients:
¾ cup brown rice
flour
¾ cup cocoa
powder
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp baking
powder
½ cup desiccated
coconut
Wet ingredients:
½ cup soy milk
¼ cup sunflower
oil (you can use melted coconut oil)
1 tsp instant
coffee granules (optional)
¾ cup hot water
1 cup dried dates
1 tsp chocolate
extract (optional)
1 tsp almond extract
1 ripe banana
1 tbsp pure cane molasses
First make the
date paste. Put the dates in a bowl with the optional coffee granules, cover
with the hot water and allow to soak and soften for at least 10 minutes (the
longer the better). The coffee granules will help to boost the chocolate flavour of the brownies.
Transfer the soaked dates and the water into a food processor, add the banana
and mix on high speed until smooth and caramel-like. Return to the bowl and add
the milk, oil, molasses and chocolate and almond extracts.
In a separate bowl mix the dry
ingredients. Combine the dry and wet ingredients and pour into a rectangular
(or square) baking pan measuring approximately 26 x 20 cm, lined with parchment
baking paper. Bake in a pre-heated oven (175°C) for 15-20 minutes. Remove and
allow to cool completely. Cut into 12 squares and store in an air-tight
container.
Note: I used to
use agave nectar in place of honey (many vegans do). It turns out agave nectar
is worse than high fructose corn syrup!! Here’s a nice piece explaining why agave
nectar and other sweeteners are not good for you.