However, pure, canned pumpkin is the secret ingredient in my brownies. I love this recipe, and have been making it for over a year. The batter itself is pretty tasty, and is sugar-free and chock-full of fibre. I have one every night as a bedtime snack, heated at 375 F for 20 minutes then spread with sweetened and vanilla-flavoured cream cheese. A large can of pumpkin from Stokeley's will make 3 batches of brownies in 8x8 inch square pans, and I often make all 3 batches at once. One pan I'll put in the fridge, and the other two I'll wrap in tin foil and freeze for later. Definitely a time-saver if you eat them every day like me!
Dense, Fudgy Vegan Brownies (my own recipe)
1 cup unsweetened packed pumpkin
1/2 cup Splenda Granular (or sugar)
2 teaspoons vanilla (or any flavouring of your choice)
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp cinnamon, cloves, chili powder, cayenne, or ginger (optional, my favourite is cloves)
Boiling water (or hot coffee)
1/2 cup Splenda Granular (or sugar)
2 teaspoons vanilla (or any flavouring of your choice)
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp cinnamon, cloves, chili powder, cayenne, or ginger (optional, my favourite is cloves)
Boiling water (or hot coffee)
- Preheat oven to 350 F and lightly spray an 8 x 8 baking pan.
- Mix pumpkin, Splenda, and vanilla in a medium bowl.
- In another bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spice (if using) together.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the pumpkin mixture.
- Mix until just combined, adding boiling water as required.
- Spread in prepared pan and bake 28min, until center is firm.**
- Cool completely in the fridge before slicing and eating.
**If you're like me and make 3 batches at once, increase the baking time to 33 minutes.
Scott Kessman from Associated Content had this to say about pumpkin:
"First and foremost, the main healthful qualities of pumpkin nutrition are the large amounts of antioxidants and beta-carotene present within the pumpkin. Antioxidants, as most of us know by know due to increased awareness of the importance of healthy living, help strengthen our immune system. Beta-carotene converts to Vitamin A and helps reduce the risk of cancer and other dangerous diseases. Pumpkins by themselves are also very low in fat and calories, and high in potassium. They also possess a fair amount of Vitamin C and other nutrients, such as Niacin, Vitamin E, Calcium and Iron."
I figured that with all that good stuff inside, I'd submit this for Sweetnick's ARF / 5-A-Day roundup!
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