Fudgy Black Bean Brownies

My husband and I eat dessert every single night. No exceptions! When on sale, I usually keep a half gallon of ice cream in stock but lately our budget's been a little tight and I've been forgoing the frozen treat aisle.

So on Friday night, as I watched my husband rummage the cabinets after dinner for something sweet to no avail, I remembered a recipe in Everyday Food Magazine that I had been wanting to experiment with and gave it a whirl.

The result was scrumptious! Chewy, fudgy, rich brownies. So rich that I only needed one to satisfy my sweet fix.

The best part is, in lieu of butter or oil, these brownies are made with pureed black beans! So you even get to feel a little healthy while you indulge because they don't leave you with that stuffed, bloated feeling just before bed.

They're especially good when they've first come out of the oven, all gooey and warm with a cold glass of milk.

As soon as they had cooled completely, I cut the rest of the brownies into squares and threw them in the freezer to keep them fresh. Now every night after dinner, I take two squares out to defrost a little and my husband and I have a perfectly portion controlled dessert. ;)

-----

{Fudgy Black Bean Brownies}
Adapted from this recipe. 

1/2 c. black beans, rinsed & drained
1 1/4 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1 c. white or wheat flour
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Puree black beans until smooth. In a double boiler, melt 1 c. of the chocolate chips, setting the remaining 1/4 c. to the side. Stir in black bean puree until smooth. Set aside. Whisk eggs, sugars, and vanilla together in a medium bowl. Add chocolate and bean puree and mix well. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt just until blended. Finally, stir in remaining chocolate chips. Spread into a small to medium baking dish that has been lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake for 20-25 minutes, depending the size of dish. Top of brownies will be firm and toothpick inserted into middle will come out gooey. Allow to cool just slightly before using a plastic knife to cut into squares.

{Enjoy!}