Triple Chocolate Black Bean Brownie

makes 9-12 brownies

recipe from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food

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1/4 cup (half a stick) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan

3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped (about 1/3 cup)

1/4 cup black beans, rinsed, drained, and pureed until smooth in a food processor

1 1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs plus 1 large egg white

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

walnut chunks and coarse sea salt for topping (optional)

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter a 9-inch square baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving 2-inches of overhang on all sides.  Butter and flour the parchment paper as well.

Fill a medium sauce pan with 2 inches of water.  Bring the water to a simmer.  Place butter, semi-sweet, and unsweetened chocolate in the bowl.  Place the bowl over simmering water and stir until chocolate and butter are melted and combined.  Remove the bowl from the simmering saucepan (the bowl might be hot!).

Allow the melted chocolate mixture to cool for a few moments.  Whisk in the eggs and white, one at a time, until mixture is glossy. Whisk in the sugar.  Whisk in the bean puree and vanilla extract.

In a small bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and sea salt.  Add the dry ingredients, all at once, to the chocolate mixture.  Use a spatula and fold to incorporate.  Once thoroughly combined, pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Top with walnuts and sea salt, if using.

Bake brownies for 25-28 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with just a few chocolate crumbs on it.  The center may seem undercooked, but it will cook further as it cools.  Brownies are better slightly underdone than overdone.

Let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes.  Use the overhanging parchment paper to remove the brownies from the pan and slice.

Cut brownies into 9 or 12 generous pieces.  Store brownies, wrapped individually, at room temperature for up to 4 days.  

Lavender and Toasted Walnut Scones

makes 8 biscuits

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For the Biscuits:

1 tablespoon dried lavender

1/2 cup walnut pieces

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoon granulated sugar

4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes

1 large egg

3/4 cup buttermilk, cold

For the Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon milk

Place racks in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Set aside.

Using a spice grinder, a mortar and pestle, or a clean cutting board and the back of a knife, grind or press the dried lavender.  We just want to break it up into slightly smaller pieces and bring out the essential oil and the fragrance.

Place walnut pieces on a baking sheet and place in the oven.  Toast for about 5 minutes, until slightly browned and fragrant.  Remove from the oven.  Cool completely.  Chop coarsely and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Add lavender.  Add cold butter and, using your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture.  Work quickly to incorporate the butter into the flour.  The butter bits will be the size of small pebbles and oat flakes.

Whisk together egg and buttermilk.

Toss the walnut into the dry ingredient mixture, and create a small well in the center of the flour and butter mixture.  Pour in the buttermilk, all at once, and use a fork to incorporate the ingredients.  Make sure that all of the flour bits are moistened by the egg and buttermilk.

Dump the shaggy dough onto a lightly floured work surface.  Bring together, kneading lightly, until the dough forms a 1-inch thick rectangle.  Use a knife to cut the dough into 8 equal pieces.  Place on the baking sheet.

Brush biscuit tops with buttermilk and baker for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned on top and firm-ish in the center.  Let cool until almost entirely cool before topping with glaze.

To make the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, honey, and milk.  Whisk until smooth.  Drizzle scones with glaze and sprinkle with a bit more lavender.

Scones are best served the day they’re made, thought they’re still delicious the second day.  

Apple Walnut Flax Seed Bread

makes one 9×5-inch loaf

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1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

generous pinch freshly ground nutmeg

2/3 cup buttermilk (if you don’t have buttermilk, try these substitutions)

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup grated apples

1/2 cup coarsely chopped apples

1 tablespoon flax seeds

3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, divided

cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.

In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract.

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  Add the grated apples, chopped apples flax seeds and half of the chopped walnuts.  Fold to incorporate thoroughly.

Spoon batter into prepared pan and top with granulated sugar, cinnamon and the rest of the walnuts.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack to cool before wrapping.

Serve slightly toasted with butter. Yumtastic.

Vegan Pumpkin Walnut Bread

makes 2 loaves

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2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour ( or whole wheat flour… or just use only all-purpose flour)

2 cups light brown sugar, packed

1/3 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree, or just under two cups

1 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup water

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Place a rack in the center of the oven.  Grease and flour two loaf pans (mine are 8x4x2) and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.

In a medium bowl, carefully whisk together pumpkin puree, oil, maple syrup and water.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and use a spatula to fold all of the ingredients together.  Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl well, finding any stray flour bits to mix in.  Fold in most of the chopped walnuts, reserving some to sprinkle on top of the batter once in the pan.

Divide the dough between the two greased pans and sprinkle with a few walnut pieces.  Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from the oven.  Let rest in the pans for 20 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack.

Serve warm.  Maybe even wrap one loaf up in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for future munching.

Whole Wheat Banana Walnut Pancakes with Vanilla-Brown Sugar Syrup

adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook

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1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup cornmeal

1 Tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, separated

1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus additional for brushing the skillet

1 1/2 cup whole milk, plus additional if needed

1 ripe banana, diced or mashed

1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

Whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl  Whisk together yolks, oil and 1 1/2 cups milk in another bowl and add to the flour mixture, whisking until smooth.  Let batter stand for 5 minutes to allow flour to absorb liquid (batter will thicken).

If batter is too thick to fall easily from a spoon, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons additional milk.

Fold in banana and walnuts.

Beat egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer at moderately high speed until they just hold stiff peaks.  With a whisk, gently but thoroughly fold into batter.

Brush a griddle or 12-inch nonstick skillet with oil and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking.  Reduce heat to moderate.  Working in batches of 4, spoon 2 tablespoons batter per pancake into a hot skillet, spreading it if necessary to form 3- 3 1/2 inch rounds.  Cook pancakes until bubbles appear on surface, edges are set and undersides are golden, 45 seconds to 1 minute.  Flip pancakes with a metal spatula and cook until undersides are golden and pancakes are cooked through.  Lower heat if pancakes brown too quickly and insides aren’t set.  Transfer pancakes to plate and serve with Vanilla- Brown Sugar Syrup.  Brush griddle with more oil between batches.

Vanilla-Brown Sugar Syrup

1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar

1 1/2 cups water

3 Tablespoon unsalted butter

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine brown sugar, water, butter, and salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan and bring to a oil, stirring until sugar is dissolved.  Boil until syrupy and reduced to about 1 1/2 cups, about 12-15 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and vanilla, then let cool to warm or room temperature.