Brownies

This is my slightly adapted version of the recipe from Jen at Use Real Butter (the recipe originally comes from Fine Cooking magazine).  Jen has some nice and informative step-by-step shots of the whole process - go check them out!!!  Please, be patient and let the brownies cool - they'll become more chewy and chocolate-y.

What you need:

4 oz unsalted butter (115 g)

4 oz semi-sweet or unsweetened chocolate (I used chocolate chips)

1 ripe banana (very ripe), mashed (could be replaced by an egg)

1 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

1 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

3 tbsp cocoa powder

What to do:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees 
• In a double boiler or bain-marie melt butter and chocolate chips
• Remove from heat and stir in banana, sugar, and vanilla
• Beat in an egg
• Add flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder.  Mix well
• Butter an 8x8 baking pan, pour batter, and bake for 30-40 minutes
• Check if brownies are ready by inserting a toothpick in a middle.  It should come out almost clean
• Be patient and let the brownies cool (they are much, much tastier when cooled)

Tips and Suggestions: 

Do not let anyone know you are making these. "Sharing is caring" is quite overrated, if you ask me!

Chips and Nuts Pumpkin Squares

Maybe it was Dana, who started it all with her pumpkin choc chip cookies..... or maybe it was Elana and her gluten-free pumpkin bars that gave me an idea ..... or maybe it all began a long long time ago, when I mixed 2 of my least favorite ingredients and realized that I like pumpkin .... or maybe it was just a happy accident that brought these yummy, light, and moist pumpkin squares filled with chocolate and carob chips, nuts, and love.

The picture was taken early in the morning, thus the grainy and overall crappy quality ;)

What you need:

2 cups pumpkin puree

1/2 cup molasses (could be replaced by sugar)

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup ground almond (could be replaced by flour)

1 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

Chips and nuts:

1/4 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup carob chips (could be replaced by chocolate chips)

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup walnuts

Extra:

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cloves

a pinch of nutmeg

What to do:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• In a smaller bowl mix pumpkin puree, eggs, vanilla, and molasses/sugar
• In a big bowl mix flour, almond flour, soda, salt, coconut, and dry spices (cinnamon and cloves)
• Fold (pour) wet ingredients into dry ones and mix thoroughly.  If the mix is too runny, add more flour
• Mix-in chips and nuts
• Grease an 8x8 baking dish.  Pour the dough in.  Put in the oven and set your timer to 30 minutes
• Check if the squares are ready by inserting a toothpick in a middle.  It should come out slightly wet (mine took about 33 minutes to cook)
• Let cool a little bit and enjoy the yuminess

Tips and Suggestions: 

Although the pumpkin season is pretty much over, at least in Montreal, you can use canned pumpkin puree or try substitute pumpkin with squash (roast and puree it in a food processor)

This super easy recipe can be easily veganized (use egg replacer or try ground flax seeds)

You can use a food processor to mix wet and dry ingredients  

Be creative, experiment: try your own spice mix, use different nuts, and serve the squares topped with icing or even whipped cream! 

For a vegan version, use egg-replacer, vegan sugar, and vegan chocolat chips