Don't Ask Don't Tell Brownies

I should let you know right away that the title of these brownies was borrowed/modified from the title of a cookie in Joanne Fluke's Cream Puff Murder.  She makes chocolate cookies with chopped sauerkraut in them.  You don't taste the sauerkraut, but the kraut adds some moisture-- much like zucchini in zucchini bread.  These brownies are from Allrecipes, but I made some modifications.  They are similar to Fluke's cookies in that you would never guess what is in them, and the surprise ingredient is not something you would ever think of as a dessert.  The recipe calls for black beans. Recipes like this have been floating around the internet for awhile. I think it all began with Heidi's version. Anna posted an index of these healthy recipes on national bean day. It was Anna who lead me to this incarnation and I am so grateful!

I have been trying to watch what I eat, and I am going to Curves 3 or 4 times a week. It's hard not to eat sweets, so these seemed like a great alternative. These brownies are high in protein, low in fat and have a reasonable amount of sugar. I didn't have black beans, so I subbed black-eyed peas. They were still fantastic!



Start by dumping all of the following ingredients into your blender:

1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 eggs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon instant coffee (optional-- I used 1 tsp. brewed coffee)

Puree until smooth. You may have to scrape down the blender, but it should have a very smooth, velvety texture.



Pour the batter into a greased 8x8 pan and sprinkle with 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until the top is dry and the edges have pulled away from the side of the pan.


Let cool slightly and cut into squares. The texture is velvety and smooth and any beaniness is overcome by the chocolate chips and cocoa powder. Enjoy! ( I know I will!)


Katie