The other day, I took my first stab at Black Bean Brownies. They turned out really well. So much so that I have to monitor how many black beans I cook lest I convince myself that I have enough leftover to make brownies again. (They might be healthier than other brownies, but still! haha). Last week I made extra northern (white) beans on accident. There wasn’t quiet enough to freeze for next week, so I thought I’d try them in a dessert.

These bars are smooth and very dense. In the process of making them, I felt they weren’t quiet sweet enough and I didn’t want to add any more agave. So I added the dates and pecans. I also added unsweetened cocoa which obviously doesn’t add sweetness, but it gave it a slightly different rich flavor that added to the overall taste. The addition of the pecans and dates also brought a natural sweetness to the bars without making me feel guilty for using too much of my precious stash of agave nectar.

They’re strange, granted… but so am I. A perfect fit! :D

White Bean Blondie Bars

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cooked northern beans
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup pecan meal
1 1/2 cups ripe banana
1/3 cup corn oil
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup amber agave nectar, divided
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbs finely chopped dates
1 oz unsweetened cocoa bar
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Instructions:

Cook the northern beans. I soaked mine overnight and then let them cook on low in my slow cooker over the next night; about 10 hours cooking on LOW with the ratio of 1/3 beans to 2/3 water (I made extra for other things so I don’t have the exact measurement for this recipe). It made the beans very soft and all the water cooked out. I’m sure anyway you cook them would work about the same, but you want to make sure they beans are ‘mushy’ and aren’t whole anymore.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Take and mash your bananas. The ripe-er they are the better!! In a separate bowl, combine the oil and beans; mix well before then adding the bananas. Mix in 1/4 cup of agave nectar, vanilla and peanut butter. In another separate bowl combine the flours, nut meal, and salt. In yet ANOTHER bowl (I had to wash the first one and dry it off – I don’t have a lot of mixing bowls! haha) beat the three eggs, add the other 1/4 cup agave, and beat some more. Once they’re relatively ‘fluffy’ and frothy, add them to the banana mix. Then add the flour mix.

Lastly, fold in the finely chopped dates, pecans and finely chopped unsweetened cocoa bar. Spray a glass pan and ‘pour’ the batter in. It’ll be quiet thick so you’ll need to manipulate it flat. I recommend a glass pan because it seems that I have a better track record of ‘retracting’ creations from glass than metal. You could probably also line a pan with parchment paper for similar effect. I don’t usually splurge on the baking paper though :)

Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes.

Along with having a glass pan, I recommend that you let the pan cool for about an hour on the stove top. Then cover it and keep it in the fridge overnight before you cut it or serve it. (Okay, so I had a taste right when it came out, but all I had to show for that was a burnt tongue:))

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This post is linked to Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays , Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays and Ultimate Recipe Swap: Baked Goods.

This mousse is only for REAL chocolate lovers. Its not for the faint of heart either. This mousse is more like a rich chocolate pudding and I really struggled to not eat all of it right when I made it. By some miracle it lasted about 4 days in my fridge. (In all fairness though, I did use about half of it in my Chocolate Pecan Coconut Cookies recipe.) Every time I opened the fridge and saw it sitting there I had to dip my spoon in.

Although, I did notice recently that I don’t crave sugar. I DO like to end dinner/supper with something sweet (fruit, a cookie, or something with peanut butter). I think its that whole ‘cleansing the palette’ thing. BUT, I really don’t have cravings! I get it in my head that something sounds good sometimes, but I don’t ‘itch’ for candy or ice cream. Its such a freedom. I didn’t think it was possible!!!

This mousse pudding is creamy and sweet and chocolaty. All things that make me happy; especially when combined! I normally don’t buy tofu because of its price, but I had to buy some to try to make sour cream. So I had a bit left over and wanted to try something sweet with it. It was experimental but I was pretty happy with it! (The picture doesn’t do it any justice…)

Ingredients:

1 lb. silken tofu (I used a mix of soft and firm)
1/2 cup light agave nectar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

Slice the tofu into cubes and place in the bottom of your blender. Add the agave, cocoa powder and vanilla extra. Blend on low.

I had to blend for about 10 seconds, stop, scrape the sides down and in, blend for 10 seconds, etc etc. It took me at least 5 minutes before it was all mixed it well and smooth.

The taste IS a bit strong at first, but once its been chilled in the fridge for a few hours or overnight, its smooth and amazing. Although I would warn against making that much or keeping it too long. Tofu really doesn’t last well over a week or so. Hence my using this pudding mousse in another experiment; Chocolate Coconut Cookies.

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This post is linked to Amy’s Slightly Indulgent, Lisa’s Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Diane’s Friday Foodie Fix, Valentines Day Gluten Free Recipes, Would You Like Chocolate with That? , and the Protein Edition of Just another Meatless Monday.