Featured Ingredient: Beets
In the February issue of Runner’s World
magazine there is an article I wrote about healthy dessert makeovers. If you
haven’t tried to make pudding using super-healthy teff you really
should. There is also a recipe for red velvet brownies made with beets. Moist,
fudgy and full of chocolate goodness, these brownies are habit-forming. Beets
lend them a brilliant crimson color and natural sweetness.
Recently, my partner Tabi had the brilliant
idea of using the same ingredients to make brownie bites using mini muffin
cups. She made these for several holiday gatherings and they never failed to disappoint.
In this version, I used brown rice flour, but you can also use the quinoa flour
called for in the Runner’s World article or really any flour you fancy.
The coffee serves to heighten the chocolate
flavor and is a great way to melt the dark chocolate and coconut oil.
This will be my last post for a little
while, as Tabi and I are off to Baja Mexico for
a self-supported cycling tour of the peninsula. I can already taste the Tacos de Pescado’s.
Beet Brownie Bites
1/2 pound beets, chopped
3/4 cup hot brewed coffee
6 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 large eggs
3/4 cup coconut sugar or other sugar of
choice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Steam or boil beets until tender and then
pulverize them in a food processor.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place hot
coffee, chocolate, cocoa powder and coconut oil in a large bowl. Let sit 5
minutes and then stir until smooth. Stir in beat puree, eggs, sugar and vanilla
extract.
In a separate bowl, stir together flour,
cinnamon, ginger powder, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet
ingredients; stir gently until combined. Divide mixture among 36 mini muffin
cups. If needed, prepare in batches. Bake for 15 minutes, or until tops have
set. Let cool several minutes before unmolding.