Black Bean Brownies

A week ago one of my former classmates, and now colleague, brought a batch of homemade brownies to work. Although I wouldn't call her a health nut, she definitely likes to eat a lot of healthy products and advertised these brownies as such. When I asked her why she explained that they were gluten-free black bean brownies, meaning they had no flour in them and were packed with protein. I was curious so I tried a piece and was amazed that they tasted very good.

I decided to make an experiment and see how my family would react to them, given their unusual ingredients. I hadn't baked brownies in quite a long time and both my mother and brother are chocoholics so I knew they would be initially well-received. I baked the brownies, making sure no one was around to see the ingredients going into them, and then offered them freshly baked to my brother.

I waited until he had finished half of his large piece before letting him in on the secret. Needless to say he was appalled and almost offended that I had "tricked" him into eating this unconventional brownie. I explained that I wasn't trying to be sneaky but I wanted his unbiased opinion of the taste before I told him about the beans. He couldn't believe that it had black beans in it nor could he imagine why anyone would ever create such a recipe. He proceeded to ramble on about how it was a horrible idea to put beans into a dessert, all the while finishing his brownie piece.

Later that evening I gave my mom a piece to sample but she had a different reaction. The recipe also used coconut oil rather than canola or vegetable oil and my mom could taste it right away. Not being a fan of coconut, other than coconut milk, she immediately was put off by the taste and I didn't even have a chance to tell her about the beans. She said that it reminded her a lot of a Nanaimo bar, a chocolate treat made with coconut flakes.

I still wanted more opinions so I packed some up and gave them to my cousins to sample. Of course I didn't tell them about the ingredients, just that I baked brownies and wanted them to have a taste. My cousin texted me later that evening and said they were good and that I should blog about them. It will be interesting to see her reaction once this post goes up and my secret will be out. I wonder if she will be as offended as my brother or find it cool that something so unusual can taste so good.

Black Bean Brownies
Note: I saw one version online that baked the brownies in a mini-muffin pan for 12-15 minutes. According to my brother, traditional brownies should always be baked in a pan and then sliced so I stuck to his preferences however the brownies were quite gooey so it may be more convenient to bake them in the muffin pan and not have to worry about slicing.

• 1 15 oz can black beans, well-rinsed and drained (about 1¾ cups)
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tbsp coconut oil (may use vegetable or canola oil instead)
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup + 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup chocolate chips
• Optional: ½ cup chopped walnuts  

1. In the bowl of a food processor, puree the beans on high speed until they turn into a paste and are free of any solid pieces.
2. Add the eggs, coconut oil, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt and continue to puree until a homogenous mixture forms. The consistency should be like that of a regular brownie batter, spreadable but not too liquidy or thick.
3. Mix in the chocolate chips using a wooden spoon or spatula.
4. Spread the batter evenly into an 8"x8" well-greased or parchment-lined pan. Sprinkle the chopped nuts (if using) on top.
5. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes. (I baked it for 25 minutes but the center was still quite gooey so I would recommend an extra five minutes just to make sure it sets).
6. Remove from the oven and allow the brownies to cool for at least half an hour in the pan before slicing and serving, otherwise they will be too difficult to cut.

Peanut Chicken Stir-Fry

Ever since I started a new job at the beginning of the year I have been working non stop! Between my shifts at my old job and my orientation at the new job it seems like all I have done for the past month is go to work. Although tiring, I am definitely enjoying my new job and the challenges that come with learning a new area of nursing.

One of the drawbacks to working so much is that I have not had any time to bake or cook recently. However last week my mother approached me about preparing some chicken for dinner. She specifically asked that I make something geared toward my brother's tastes and to try and use coconut milk if possible because we had some leftover in the fridge from a previous use.

I immediately decided to prepare the chicken using "Thai-style" flavors as coconut milk is prominent in Thai cuisine. Looking through the fridge and pantry, and based on my prior knowledge of Thai flavors, I quickly made up a marinade on the spot. I also decided to use a trick of coating the chicken in corn starch prior to sauteing it in order to give it a more crispy texture without having to fry it, something I picked up when making general tsaos chicken.

In the end I was quite proud of myself for two reasons. Firstly, my brother confirmed that he enjoyed the chicken and it was just the right amount of crispiness, heat, and peanut flavor. Secondly, I think it speaks to my growing cooking repertoire that I am able to think on my feet and create recognizable dishes without any recipe.

Peanut Chicken Stir-Fry

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into strips
• 2 egg whites
• 6 tbsp corn starch
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 3 tbsp peanut butter
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp red curry paste
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 large bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1 large zucchini, cut in half and then sliced
• 1 cup baby carrots, cut in half lengthwise
• 2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper 

1. Whisk together the egg whites and cornstarch. Toss the cut pieces of chicken in the mixture, making sure to coat well.
2. Saute the chicken pieces in a large pan over medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes on all sides, or until cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. While the chicken is cooking, combine the coconut milk, peanut butter, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and red curry paste. Mix well and set aside.
4. Using the same pan, saute the chopped onion over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and continue to saute for another minute or until the garlic becomes fragrant.
5. Add the cut pepper, zucchini, and carrots and continue to saute until the vegetables soften a little, about 3-5 minutes.
6. Add the cooked chicken back to the pan and pour the marinade in. Mix well to ensure the chicken and vegetables are evenly coated with the peanut sauce. Reduce the heat to low and allow the mixture to simmer for a few minutes so that it may thicken. 

Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cupcakes

A few weeks ago, after making a caramel latte cheesecake for my aunt and uncle's silver wedding anniversary I had extra dulce de leche leftover and wanted to use it up. I decided on making mini cupcakes and use the dulce de leche in the filling as well as the icing. I found a good recipe for a chocolate cupcake and then improvised with the filling quantities.

In order to fill the cupcakes I had to cut little cone shapes out of the baked cakes, fill them, and then put the top back on with a little bit sliced off the bottom to compensate for the space taken up by the filling. My brother was watching me during the filling process and I offered for him to eat the extra bits I was cutting off.

Rather than fill them all with dulce de leche I decided to fill half with peanut butter and as I went to get the second filling I came back to discover that instead of eating my extra "bits" he had actually eaten the entire cone I had cut out. By the time I discovered this he had already eaten half of the tops! Luckily I was able to pipe the cream cheese frosting in a way that hid the missing tops and no one was the wiser.

As for the taste I think it was fun to have a filling inside the cupcake, something I have never done before. It created a little surprise when biting into them. Personally I liked both the peanut butter and dulce de leche fillings but I noticed that the majority of my family members preferred the caramel-like taste of the dulce de leche.

Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cupcakes
Note: I halved the original recipe and even so was able to make 44 mini cupcakes. The recipe below reflects the quantities I used which would most likely be enough to make 24 regularly sized cupcakes.

For the chocolate cupcake:

• ½ cup cocoa powder
• ½ cup hot water
• 1½ cups flour
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking poder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ cup (12 tbsp) unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• ½ cup sour cream

1. Whisk the cocoa powder with the hot water in a small bowl and set aside.
2. In a separate bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
3. In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir the butter and sugar together until the butter is melted.
4. Once melted, pour the mixture into a large bowl and beat on medium-low speed for 4-5 minutes or until it has cooled.
5. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
6. Add the vanilla, then the hot cocoa mixture and beat to incorporate.
7. With the mixer on low speed, beat in half the flour mixture, then the sour cream, and then the remainder of the flour.
8. Divide the batter evenly amongst a pre-greased or paper-lined cupcake pan, filling each well about ¾ full.
9. If making mini cupcakes, bake for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. If making regular sized cupcakes, bake for 18-21 minutes.
10. Cool the cupcakes for about 5 minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Filling and Frosting:

• Dulce de leche
• Peanut butter
• 8 oz (250 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• Milk

1. Use a small knife to cut a cone-shaped piece from the center of each cupcake.
2. For the peanut butter filling: add a few tablespoons of milk to about three heaping spoonfuls of peanut butter. Mix well and then use your hands to tear off chunks and roll into balls. Place the balls into the center of the cupcake then put on the tops.
3. For the dulce de leche filling: add a few tablespoons of milk to about three heaping spoonfuls of the dulce de leche until it becomes more runny. Use a small plastic bag to pipe the filling into the center of the cupcake then put on the tops.
4. For the frosting: Beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar and about two or three tablespoons (depending on how strong you want the flavor) of dulce de leche. Continue to beat until completely smooth and the sugar is well incorporated. Transfer to a plastic or piping bag fitted with a tip to pipe on top of cupcakes.