Fudgy Secret Ingredient Sweetheart Brownies
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Ingredients:
3/4 cup roasted mashed sweet potato, from 1 medium size sweet potato
1/2 cup almond butter
2/3-1 cup coconut sugar, or 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup cocoa powder, I like Valrhona
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon espresso powder
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1/3 cup chopped walnuts to sprinkle on top, optional
1/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips to sprinkle on top, optional
Make the brownies:
To make sweet potato purée, poke the sweet potato with a fork all over. Then place on a small baking pan lined with parchment or foil in the center of a cold oven. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F, and bake until cooked through, about 1 hour. Cool slightly and scoop out the flesh onto a flat plate and mash with a fork. Let cool. If you're in a hurry, you could steam the sweet potato instead: First peel, and then cut it into small 1 inch chunks, and steam until soft, about 10-15 minutes. But, the steamed version will be wetter and less flavorful than the roasted one.
Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray or coat an 8 x 8 inch square baking pan with oil and line the bottom with parchment and spray the parchment. Set aside.
Into the bowl of a food processor, add the sweet potato and almond butter. Process until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the toppings, and process until combined. The batter will be very thick. Press it evenly into the pan, and sprinkle all over with the chips and walnuts.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top feels slightly firm and dry. A toothpick inserted in the center should have crumbs, but not covered in batter. It will set up as it cools. Let cool in the pan a little or a lot, if you can't wait. You can store the brownies covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator up to a week and half. You can freeze them for up to 1 month.
Makes 9-16 brownies. YUM!
LESSONS Learned:
1. Although steaming is faster, roasting the sweet potato is the best method.
2. If you don't let them cool completely, they might be a little crumbly. But that's ok with me, I can never wait.
3. If you use the maple syrup, you will get a moister brownie, and if you use a monk fruit sweetner and stevia sweetened chcolate chips, they'll be sugar free.,
4. Try other toppings -- dried fruit, other chopped nuts like pecans or peanuts, or white chocolate chips.