Double Chocolate Butter "Bean" Cream

Creamy, rich and thick frosting is the hallmark of many a great cake. My sister vehemently states that generously applying a coat of it will make any cake (box or scratch) worth eating - provided of course, that said frosting is chocolate. Frosting's nutritional benefits are not normally an issue - normally. However, the passion for the stuff some people I know (read: my little sister and most of my Home Ec classes) means I tend to pay a little bit of mind with regards to ingredients and attempt portion control! Obviously, frosting (or sweetened chocolate) are nowhere near "health food" material, and while there are some "low fat" and "sugar free" versions out there they are a little... iffy... on the flavour and texture front. 

Interestingly enough, while most of the kids I teach are good with anything sweet, there are a handful that are so anti-chocolate that whenever we do a cake-decorating lesson I make either my
French Vanilla Frosting or Super Vanilla Frosting just to avoid the argument. When I come home with leftover cake (but vanilla frosting), I'm whined at that there's no chocolate to put on it and the frosting (and cake) in question almost always turn into cake balls. One too many batches of cake balls later, I was re-organizing my Recipe Index and came across my Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip - which was a major hit with both young and old. The recipe made me think that if I can make a bland bean like a cannellini taste like cookie dough, why couldn't I use them to stretch out frosting?

I knew I'd have to add the chocolatey flavour my sister loves so much, so along with the beans, I tossed in some rich cocoa powder, chocolate extract and couverture callets. The mixture was softer than "canned" frosting right out of the processor, but once chilled overnight it was 100% the perfect consistency for topping (and filling!) cupcakes as well as making the centres of the resulting Aquafaba Meringues sing!

Shared with Gluten Free Fridays

Double Chocolate Butter "Bean" Cream
Makes ~4 cups, 32 (2 tbsp) servings
2 cups cannellini beans, drained and rinsed well
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp chocolate extract (optional)
2 cups French Vanilla Frosting or Super Vanilla Frosting
70 g best-quality milk chocolate, melted

1. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender.
2. Puree until smooth and creamy, scraping sides as needed.
3. Chill at least 2 hours (preferably overnight) before using.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 56.0
Total Fat: 2.3 g
Cholesterol: 0.5 mg
Sodium: 51.1 mg
Total Carbs: 7.1 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.0 g
Protein: 1.3 g